TEL AVIV (Press Release)–High in the ivory tower of success sits a CEO, protected on all sides by wealth, position and authority. He rides first class on life’s train, his every need fulfilled. And then one day, he hits a bump. “I’ll take care of it,” he says to his family, certain that his connections, his status will open all doors. But they don’t. Our CEO faces reality. His grandson is ill with a life-threatening disease and all his power is worth nil.
Professor Izzy Borowitsch, former CEO of El Al, came face to face with this humbling scenario when his grandson, Tal, became ill and a bone marrow transplant was his only chance. And so what is the problem, you ask. The professor can surely afford whatever expenses are involved. But money was not the issue. Genetics were. A genetic match between Tal and the potential donor was the only route to recovery. And Ezer Mizion, the largest Jewish Bone Marrow Registry in the world, was searching. The family held its collective breath. Their wealth, their power, that would open so many doors, was useless. If the Registry had a match, Tal would live. If it did not,…
Success! Yitzchak Goldshmidt, a young Yeshiva man, was one of close to 600,000 potential donors who had registered with Ezer Mizion in the hopes of saving the life of a fellow Jew. And he was a perfect match!
Not everyone is as fortunate. Six hundred thousand is a lot but it is not enough. The Registry is seeking funding to expand to the million mark so that virtually each request can be met.
Tal is seven years old now and a whiz on the playground. He can climb the monkey bars with the best of them. His grandfather looks up as Tal chins himself to the top bar and he brushes away a stray tear. “Coming so close to losing Tal has brought me to a clear understanding of how important a robust registry is for the Jewish people throughout the world,” he says. “This experience has changed my perspective and sense of priority. I now know that nothing, not even wealth, power or social status, can help a person if he or a loved one is in need of a bone marrow donor to save his life.” Professor Borowitsch often wonders, what if there had been no Ezer Mizion.
To view pictures of Yitzchak with Tal and his grandfather plus those of other children whose lives were saved by Ezer Mizion’s International Jewish Bone Marrow Registry see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60145637@N06/sets/72157627005867180/ For further info: www.ezermizion.org
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Preceding provided by Ezer Mizion