Three-year-old twin brothers, David and Michael, were identical in almost every way. Both liked toy trucks and playing in the park. They even had their own special language. Their sweet bond became more special when David was diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer that eventually spread to his brain and lungs.
Constantly being hospitalized for lengthy stays took its toll on David and his family. Stressed and emotionally vulnerable, his parents also worried about the effect of David’s terminal illness on Michael.
To address the family’s concerns, the hospital’s attending pediatrician recommended MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care because of their impressive pediatric expertise and ability to provide services at home. David’s parents agreed with the plan.
At home, David was cared for by MJHS Hospice pediatricians and nurses who are board certified in pain and symptom management. A social worker, rabbi and volunteer made regular visits. Home health aides gave the parents much-needed breaks and a chance to focus on Michael. And age-appropriate conversations were facilitated by members of the MJHS Hospice team, including a music therapist.
As the twins’ 4th birthday approached, the parents grew concerned about Michael. He neededand deservedattention, too. They could admit David to a hospital, but that would devastate everyone. It was not an option. David remained at home, able to act like a kid not a patient. And the MJHS Hospice team helped both parents figure out how to create more special one-on-one time with Michael. This helped the family feel less conflicted. And an art therapist helped the family create a legacy storybook and photo albumgiving them wonderful, lasting memories.
A month later, surrounded by his parents and brother, and with a MJHS music therapist softly playing in the background, David said his final goodbyes.
No parent ever expects to outlive a child, but David’s parents credit MJHS with helping their entire family prepare for that moment. Had the planned MJHS Hospice Inpatient Residence for children been available at the time, David could have received the specialized, compassionate pediatric hospice care in a beautiful, home-away-from-home that respected the family’s Jewish values. His family could have stayed with him around-the-clock and everyone would have had peace of mind.
MJHS Hospice is determined to fill this critical void. With your generous support, the $10.3 million Sixteen Lights Capital Campaign will bring the concept of hospice into the 21st century.
For the families and friends of hospice patients, the Sixteen Lights Campaign means the creation of two very special residences: The MJHS Hospice Inpatient Residence at Menorah Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care in Brooklyn, which just broke ground, and The MJHS Hospice, Muriel and Harold Block Residence, at Jewish Home Lifecare in the Bronx. Both offer spacious, private, home-like surroundings where families can be together, eat together, even stay overnight with their loved one if they wish. And these phenomenal residences will be staffed with the finest board-certified health care professionals, and offer the most effective medications for symptom management and equipment to help improve quality of life.
The centerpiece of the Sixteen Lights Campaign will be our innovative MJHS Hospice Inpatient Residence at Menorah Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care. This unique oceanfront residence will be the first in New York City to care for vulnerable children like little David, as well as adults.
Your support is critical to raising the $10.3 million needed to make it happen. So please donate today. Naming and dedication opportunities are available.
Donations to the Sixteen Lights Capital Campaign can be made at mjhsfoundation.org. Please call (212) 356-5300 for more information on naming and dedication opportunities.
MJHS was founded in 1907 by the Four Brooklyn Ladies. Generous charitable support from their community enabled them to establish the Brooklyn Ladies Hebrew Home for the Aged. Rooted in the core Jewish values of compassion, dignity and respect, the home offered frail, elderly members of the community quality health care and a safe place to live in their time of greatest need. Today, those same core values continue to guide us. From the small building among the tenements, we’ve become one of the most expansive health systems in the region.
