Every cancer diagnosis is devastating. Terrifying. Leading to tears and fears for your life.

But what happens after the diagnosis?

Let’s take a close look at the case of the Platner family: Yehudis Platner received a devastating diagnosis of cancer when she was only 2 years old. Immediately, she began an intensive course of treatment devised by her doctors to save her life. Mommy Platner was in the hospital with Yehudis around the clock, never leaving her bedside, to ensure that Yehudis received the best care possible.

In the meantime, the once organized Platner household slowly fell apart. Tatty Platner struggled to continue working, to take care of their large family and the house - all on his own. Their tight budget didn’t allow for hired help.

The stress of caring for their sick daughter in the hospital and their other children at home simultaneously was taking its toll on the entire family. The Platner’s home was barely functional.

This is when Darchei Miriam stepped in. Darchei Miriam provided the Platners with free cleaning services, restoring order and sanity to a home that desperately needed it. Mommy Platner was able to stay by Yehudis’s side for over a year until finally she was healthy enough to come home.

The Platners expressed their heartfelt thanks to Darchei Miriam in this letter:

Dear Darchei Miriam,

We do not have enough words to thank you for all your help. Our daughter Yehudis began receiving treatment when she was 2 and a half years old, for a period of a year and 3 months. Because we spent a lot of time in the hospital our home was barely functioning, the cleaning service helped us so much! We enjoyed seeing our house so clean and it created a calm feeling throughout our home.

Hashem should repay you and fulfill all your wishes for the good.

Thank you,
Platner Family

The Platners are just one of over 150 families that benefit from Darchei Miriam’s free cleaning services while their loved ones are battling cancer. Darchei Miriam provides a cleaner for six hours a week, at a cost of 1200 ILS (around $330) per month. This translates into an annual budget of over 2,160,000 ILS!

Click here to help Darchei Miriam continue to provide free cleaning services to families of cancer patients across Israel. A clean home helps families who are dealing with cancer remain functional and stable while their loved one is battling for their life in the hospital.

Help Is On The Line

"Darchei Miriam, how can we help you?”

Just a standard opening to a phone conversation that is anything but ordinary. Darchei Miriam is the flagship organization for cancer patient support in Israel. Darchei Miriam was founded in 2002 by Rabbi Yisrael Weingarten z”l in memory of his wife, Miriam a”h, who passed away after a difficult battle with cancer.

Rabbi Weingarten personally experienced the myriad difficulties faced by Israeli families when a loved one is sick with cancer. In a demographic milieu where few own cars, buses and trains make just getting to the hospital for treatment an ordeal. Keeping a clean home and providing the children with a hot dinner every night is next to impossible. Navigating the complex world of Israeli bureaucracy and health insurance is usually futile without expert assistance.

Darchei Miriam endeavors to provide a complete envelope of support for cancer patients in Israel with creative solutions to all of the above. Whether with a nationwide network of 2,500 volunteer drivers, providing free cleaning help, or advice about health insurance coverage - Darchei Miriam is there on the other side of the phone.

A Cancer Patient’s Pesach Prep

“I’m Sari, the oldest in a family of 6. I’m exhausted. I’ve just finished cleaning the kitchen for Pesach. The stovetop is shining, the counters are clean, and the fridge is gleaming. Even without Mommy - who is in the hospital undergoing radiation therapy - I’ve managed to clean the kitchen all by myself. Soon, Tatty will come home with all the groceries that we were able to buy, all thanks to Darchei Miriam.”

Now, before Pesach Darchei Miriam is gearing up for its annual distribution of Kimcha D'Pischa grocery vouchers. Sari and her family are one of over 400 cancer patients who are relying on the funds that they will receive from Darchei Miriam to buy food for Yom Tov.

Their mother may be recovering from surgery, their father may be undergoing chemo, but Darchei Miriam is there to provide them with food for true Simchas Yom Tov.

How You Can Help

Each family receives at least 2000 shekel in grocery vouchers to purchase food for Yom Tov (about $555). This is a significant sum that can relieve the financial stress of families battling cancer this Pesach. You can be a part of providing cancer patients and their families with the means to buy food for Yom Tov, by donating here.

Sari, and so many others like her, are counting on you.