When I speak of you, I always say that you
were MY Schindler
JAN 1 2008
Dear Dov, I cannot begin to thank you and everyone at Isracare for the extraordinary care you gave me and my mother during her horrific illness in your Country. When I speak of you, I always say that you were MY Schindler. From the constant updates you gave me by phone concerning our status, to the medical staff you provided to stay at night with my mother, to the best ambulance team I have ever encountered, truly the quality service you provide is beyond compare. As an update, so far it appears that Mother's problem was that of a bleeding ulcer. The initial biopsy came back clean.
They will however be doing another more invasive biopsy in a few weeks. I could not have more of a Christmas miracle than that. She is currently living with us, but getting stronger by the day. Also, wanted you to know that I emailed Fadi at Netours to convey how there could be no better service to have available than yours. I have also conveyed this same recommendation to Jeff Templeton at Templeton Tours here in the States.
If I can ever help you,PLEASE just let me know. I just fell in love with that Angel that met me at the ambulance in Tel Aviv. And his name was Dov Maisel! The doctor that accompanied us to Atlanta was the greatest. He would not leave Mother's side until he inspected the ambulance and made sure she was hooked up correctly to oxygen. He also translated the important info that I brought back to her Dr. I'm forever in your debt. May the peace of God be with you and yours during this new year.
I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!
Ilana S. - Student, Age 19
“I had lots of plans for my year in Israel, but getting into a car accident really wasn’t one of them! There I was, with the ambulance crew wheeling me into the emergency room, and all I could think was, ‘How am I going to explain what hurts in Hebrew? And how will I understand what they want from me?’ It’s hard enough for me to express myself in Hebrew under the best circumstances, let alone under this kind of pressure! Luckily, I didn’t have to worry for very long. I had called Isracare from the ambulance, and soon after I arrived in the emergency room, Chaim arrived and introduced himself to me. He’s a paramedic with lots of experience in emergency situations, and he took charge immediately. Chaim helped me answer the intake questions and explained everything to me in English. He knew all the right questions to ask the doctors, and he kept me informed every step of the way.
Once we knew the details about my injuries, which thankfully turned out to be minor, Chaim offered to call my parents and explain everything to them. I said I’d do it myself since I wasn’t in such bad shape and I didn’t want them to worry. But I am so grateful to Chaim and Isracare for their attentive service! It really made a difficult experience a lot easier."
I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME
Haim R. – Systems Analyst, Age 45
“Have you ever experienced complete helplessness? Have you ever felt that you were complete dependent on the compassion of others – and you didn’t know how to deal with it? It happened to me when I had a heart attack last year while visiting Israel. I work out on a regular basis and take good care of myself. But suddenly, right in the middle of a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, I felt a severe pain in my chest and I fainted. I came to a few minutes later, surrounded by a lot of commotion and people yelling. I didn’t understand anything and I couldn’t say anything. But the one thing I was able to do was point to my wallet and motion for someone to take out my Isracare membership card. A paramedic immediately pulled out a cellphone and started dialing. By the time I got to the hospital, an Isracare representative was right there waiting for me."
EVERYONE NEEDS SOMEONE TO RELY ON!
Ilan - Paramedic
"About two months ago, I received an e-mail from a friend in New York telling me that his good friend’s daughter, who is studying in a Jerusalem seminary, was taken to Shaare Zedek hospital for an unknown reason."
"I immediately drove to the hospital to meet her and see what was going on. Two minutes after I got there, I found her crying, next to the counselor who had accompanied her and was pretty shaky herself. After introducing myself and calming them both down, I went to see what was going on. I found the doctor who had admitted her, and he told me that the problem appeared to be a virus with fever. They were going to do a blood tests and a chest x-ray, just to make sure, but it seemed that there was no reason for concern."
"I immediately told the girl to call her parents so they wouldn’t worry, and to tell them that she was going to have the tests. After she spoke with them, I took the phone and explained exactly what procedures she would undergo. I stayed with us until the test results came back, and we called her parents once again to report on the results."
"A few days later, the girl’s mother called to thank me for helping out. She said that speaking to her daughter and getting accurate information had meant everything to them. And then I started wondering: what happens when parents in the U.S. don’t have a “friend of a friend” to rely on?"
