SCHNEIDER CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER OF ISRAEL AND SIMCHA LE'YELED (ISRAEL SPECIAL KIDS FUND)

From The Desk Of
DR. OFRA ARAN
Director of Social Services
Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel

Simcha Le'Yeled literally means "Happiness to the Child" and is a non-profit organization active in Israel [known as Israel Special Kids Fund in America]. They approached Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, and offered their assistance due to the hospital's exclusive care of children.

The charitable organization bases their activities upon direct contact and involvement with children. Simcha Le'Yeled volunteers, assisted by girls in the National Service (compulsory alternative for religious girls who do not serve in the military), initiated activities in Schneider Children's Dialysis Unit. Dialysis treatment demands long hours in the Unit. To help stave off boredom and to make it easier for the children to endure, Simcha Le'Yeled volunteers keep the kids happily occupied in various ways, such as reading to them, playing games or just talking to them. Once a year, the kids and staff are treated to a days outing by the organization.

In addition to helping dialysis children, Simcha Le'Yeled is active in key hospital outpatient clinics distracting children where waiting times can be particularly prolonged and aggravating: diabetes, endocrinology, cystic fibrosis and child development. Here again, volunteers work directly with the children.

Simcha Le'Yeled contributes enormously to children's and parents' welfare within hospitalization departments. Their volunteers staying with children night and day when parents for some reason are unable to do so, and doing so with great diligence and compassion. About 50 volunteers work with children in follow-up care in the child's home and work with them in educational instruction and help them to improve their social skills. Once a year, all the kids with whom Simcha La'Yeled was in contact with, are invited to a summer camp. Earlier in Spring this year, about 10 children from Schneider Children's were invited to participate in a trip to Italy, supported and arranged by the organization. Not forgetting the parents, Simcha Le'Yeled also arranged a 3-day vacation for mothers of chronically ill children.

Schneider Children's is deeply appreciative of the wonderful and caring support received from Simcha Le'Yeled and looks forward to a long and fruitful partnership in promising better lives to our precious children.

Together, we can make a difference!!

Petach Tikvah
August 2006

Hadassah Hospital, Pediatric Unit, in-Hospital School
(Translated From The Hebrew)

March 30, 2006

Mr. Hillel Wiener
Simcha Layeled/ ISRAEL SPECIAL KIDS FUND

Dear Mr. Wiener:

This is a most appropriate time for me to write to you and thank you for the wonderful experience that we have had with your organization.

I must praise the work that you have been doing in our pediatric school unit through the directors of your Jerusalem branch, Elli Kellerman and Elad Mayer. They are in touch with us on a regular basis and carefully research the background of each child in our pediatric units. Your entire staff of volunteers and bnot sherut (national service) girls are totally dedicated to the children and their needs and work together with us on all programming.

The last major event you ran for Purim was extremely organized and all the children laughed, sang and danced during the entire event. Even those who were very sick and are usually confined to their rooms attended and all had a great time. The entire Hadassah hospital staff said that this was the most successful and enjoyable party they have ever seen. Everyone was able to see the incredible effort your organization put into this and all the other events you have run.

Hadassah is one of the largest hospital centers in the country and treats hundreds of children each week. In September, we are expanding our pediatric ward to include many more beds in separate and new neurology, hemato-oncology, outpatient hemato-oncology and psychiatry units. We will service 165 children every day in these new units.

We are preparing our hospital school schedule for next year and want to ask you, because of our wonderful experience with your organization, to please consider providing an additional three Sherut Leumi (national service) girls for our expanded facility.

I invite you to visit our pediatric ward to personally observe all of the wonderful work your organization is doing and hear praise from our staff for all your efforts.

With best wishes for a Chag Sameach.

Edna Pinchover
Principal, Hadassah Hospital School