Let me introduce you to Family Datz. The father, Reb Amnon, is a Talmid Chochom of note, who spends his life in the Beis Hamedrash. His wife has taken care of the family all of her life, making sure that her husband’s avodas Hashem isn’t disturbed. She raised her 12 children with dignity, stretching sparse resources as far as she could, allowing them to live, grow and get married to their own spouses.
When the 12th child was born, things were different. Ruchama was born with Down syndrome and other issues to boot. Some of her fingers are misshapen, and she has mobility issues. Her mother took care of her too, giving her the love and attention she needed to thrive. She did this without asking for help outside of what the state social security system offers for her disability.
However, Ruchama has one problem that her health insurance refuses to cover. As you see in the pictures, her nose is shaped differently to most noses. This is not just a cosmetic or aesthetic issue. This causes severe breathing problems, preventing her from being able to achieve a regular night’s sleep. When a person cannot sleep properly, they are constantly weak and in pain, and the world passes them by as in a fog. Imagine that coupled with Down syndrome, and she does not have a happy life. Her daily function and life are constantly impaired by her sleep issue, yet amazingly the Kupat Cholim refuses to do much about it.
There is a solution available for Ruchama, but it is not currently within reach of this family. There is a surgery available in England, where she will have her face and nasal passages reconstructed. But that costs money, much more money than Family D can afford. They need to travel to England and pay the doctors’ fees and the hospital fees to cover this surgery.
We are desperate to help Ruchama. Look at these pictures and see the adorable young girl who just wants to live with her siblings and enjoy Hashem’s world. Imagine how she would look after surgery, after her nose is reshaped so she can breathe and sleep without the pain she suffers now.
