At 3-months Or developed a high fever and doctors discovered a heart defect that required surgery. After many complications, that surgery was followed by a feeding tube and a permanent ventilator.
Now at age 14, Or needs 24-hour support, so there are no breaks from the reality of severe illness—even in wartime.
Or and his mother Smadar and his family live in Ashdod in southern Israel which in recent days has been bombarded by rockets. Because they don’t have an internal safe room, every time a siren blasts, Smadar has to immediately unhook Or’s ventilator, reconnect it to a portable life-support machine, and run from the apartment to the building’s corridor to seek shelter.
For a week in May, Or and his mother came to Jordan River Village for a special, impromptu, free session for families who have a child living with serious illnesses from Southern Israel.
Smadar said “this is the first time in a week that we’ve slept and since being here we’ve built a new community—it’s a brotherhood of fate.”
The Village’s staff said “our hope was confirmed in minutes; we’ve made these families feel safe and supported in a time when patience is wearing thin and anxiety is running high. The sighs of relief are the best thanks.”
