Batsheva's Memory

Hi everybody!

A few months ago I went on a trip to Kilimanjaro.  Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.  The purpose of the trip was to raise money and awareness for Shalva, Israel's official organization for children with Down Syndrome and one of Israel's biggest charity organizations in general.

I was drawn to this organization because of a fairly recent event in my own family.  My little cousin Batsheva was born with trisomy 18, a disorder related to Down Syndrome.  My aunt and uncle were shattered and unsure of what to do.  They already had five children.  In fact, they were so broken that my mother offered to adopt the little girl.  But before anything could be discussed, my cousin died.  

Kilimanjaro was grueling.  It's an eight day trip to climb almost 6000 miles; at the top there's not a lot of oxygen, so it's hard to breath and think straight.  I was really proud of myself when I made it to the top, and excited for the kids!

Please help me raise funds for kids like Batsheva.  My cousin never got a chance in life, but we can make a difference for others, and we can keep the memory of Batsheva intact.  All the money goes to Shalva, specifically to:

-enhance the beauty and resources of their new base building
-finance events to enhance the relationship between children with disabilities and those without
-allow siblings and parents, like my own darling aunt, free time to relax and gather their strength
  
The children and I will be so grateful for your support.