My name is Orly and I am from Givat Zeev. A year and a half ago, my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and has since been hospitalized at Rambam hospital. Within months he became a skeleton, losing half his weight and strength completely. The illness made him so helpless.
For months I sat by his hospital bed, trying to give him hope, to encourage and ease his terrible suffering. I thought things couldn’t get any worse…
Then one day, I started to feel pain.
"It's just fatigue and pain," I convinced myself.
But the pain didn't go away.
I came to the hospital with a health insurance card, and she quickly sent me to an ultrasound, from there to biopsy and then the harsh, impossible news: I too am suffering from the machala.
I came back from the ultrasound crying. How do I tell my 18 year old daughter Yaffa that her Mommy is also sick? How do I explain to Yossi, my husband, that I must be hospitalized in a similar ward?
I have six children. Every illness brings a not-so-simple financial challenge, but until now we managed with Yossi's disability payments and my salary from work. But since I got sick, I have not been able to function, I get biological shots that affect me severely and leave me exhausted. There is no one to take care of the children, to cook food or to do the endless piles of laundrey that are waiting to be washed. Taking care of the children exhausts me and I have no way of giving them even a 50 shekel bill to buy groceries.
I am turning to Klal Yisroel, to anyone who is reading this: Please help us. In whatever way you can. Please help our family survive during this frightening time. We are on the verge of falling apart and we are desperate for support.
Thank you so much and Hashem should bless you,
Orly Itzer
