After nearly a year of innumerable visits to different doctors to try to figure out the cause of her headaches and vision problems, my friend Lilah was finally diagnosed with a tumor consisting of a cluster of blood vessels in the orbital lobe behind her eye, known as a cavernous hemangioma. Removal of this type of tumor is extremely difficult, requiring a highly sophisticated surgery. There are only a few surgeons in the entire country who are experienced in performing this surgery, one of whom is in New York City.

Lilah met with this surgeon as well as several others to determine to whom she felt most comfortable entrusting her care. After reviewing the information provided by each surgeon, consulting with family and professionals in related fields, and weighing pros and cons, Lilah and her husband Ben ultimately chose the surgeon who had the most experience performing the sophisticated surgery necessary to remove her tumor.

Lilah had the surgery to remover the tumor on August 9. To all of our tremendous relief, the surgeon was able to remove 100% of the tumor and it was benign. Lilah remained in the hospital overnight and has been home recovering ever since.

Lilah's recovery has been slow and not without a few bumps, requiring additional MRI's and another surgery; she faces a long road to complete healing. However, like everything else Lilah does, she has approached this journey with positivity and optimism, her perpetual smile rarely fading from her face.

Being around Lilah, is like seeing sunshine personified; she is a bright light. She is the kindest, warmest, most spiritual person and she truly spreads joy to everyone around her, in her professional life as a cantor and personally as a friend. Knowing that in addition to her arduous recovery, Lilah carries the burden of her excessive medical expenses without complaint or self-pity, especially makes me want do everything I can to help her.

The one massive problem facing Lilah and Ben moving forward is the mounting medical expenses. The surgeon Lilah chose was the one most qualified to perform her intricate surgery. Unfortunately, he does not accept her insurance . Only a tiny portion, if any, of Lilah's medical costs will be covered, with the overwhelming majority of the costs to be paid out of pocket. Too date, all requests for coverage have been unsuccessful.

While Lilah and Ben have only asked for our healing prayers, a Mi Shebeirach is not enough to ease their huge and unexpected financial burden. Lilah gives so much to her family, her friends, her congregation and her community by sharing her positive energy, her spirituality and that ever present smile . Lilah is the epitome of a caregiver and now, when she needs help, we have the opportunity to care for her.

Please consider donating what you can to help support this beautiful person (and a regular Mi Shebeirach or prayer for Lilah's healing would be great too). Thank you so SO much!