Our mother, Raizel/Shoshana, is currently in Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, fighting stage 4 cancer. She is bedridden and cannot lift her arm to pick up her cellphone, and is no longer communicating with anyone at this time. She is hooked up to a feeding tube, oxygen, saline IV, morphine drip, and other devices. Last week she was able to sit up in bed with the help of a physical therapist but now she is immobile and needs nurses to help her shift her position in bed. She often cries out for help but does not have enough care due to a lack of advocacy, family support, and personal aides.

Our father passed away nearly 5 years ago (June 9, 2018) from stage 4 cancer as well, and since that time our family has been in poor financial straits. It is just us 3 siblings looking after our mother. Our sister Esther just bore her first child a few months ago, our brother Aharon just got married a few months ago, our brother Jonathan has fallen on hard times since he made aliyah, and we are all strapped for cash financially, independently of this situation (we are just starting in our careers and our mother's medical bills, etc, are piling up).

If our mother was somehow able to be transported back to the United States, we would have less of a financial burden, as she has full Medicare and AARP coverage. Originally our mother was planning on returning to the USA, but on the morning of her return flight on May 15, she fell and broke her hip. After being rushed to Shaare Zedek in an ambulance, she became bedridden and stuck in an Israeli hospital, making it evermore challenging with the significant cultural and language barriers between us and the hospital.

Any financial assistance would be appreciated, and the funds would help pay for: 1) an aide to be with our mother, 2) to attempt to rehabilitate her so that she is strong enough to return to Baltimore, and 3) a medical evacuation flight to United States. Furthermore, if enough assistance is provided, additional funds would be used to hire a medical management company and dedicated social worker to help advocate for our mother.

An estimate for the use of any charity funds is as follows: A hospital aide will cost about $20 an hour, the medical management company (and social worker) will cost about $80 an hour, and if necessary, a flight to the United States will run in the $20,000 range, which includes business class for our mother, a family member, and a doctor to accompany her safely to the United States as they tend to her on the flight. Additionally, we have spent a significant amount of money (approx. $8,000 so far) traveling to Israel to be with Mom, and we have lost our salary for the last two weeks, by going on unpaid FMLA to spend this time tending to her needs (plunging us into more credit card debt). All of this money received will go to our mother for her medical needs.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Wayne

Aharon and Lesley (Austen) Wayne

Esther (Wayne) and Chaim Meiselman