[COMMUNICATED]
Meir is a special 9 year boy who wants what every kid desires: to be a normal, happy kid. But there’s a problem: he’s afraid of needles. While at first glance, this may not seem abnormal, for Meir it’s traumatic because at his young age, he has already experienced 5 open heart surgeries and is in dire need of a 6th. Unfortunately his heart defect is so rare, he must travel to Boston where specialist surgeons can save his life. Since it’s abroad, it is not covered by Israeli National Insurance and must be paid out of pocket before any life saving work can be done. The family doesn’t have that kind of money. Nor do they have the money to pay for the airfare and lodging required for their stay of a minimum of three weeks.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck. The couple once had to bury one of their 12 kids who died tragically young. Their pain is still raw and they won’t be able to bear attending a levayah for another child, especially because in this case, it is totally preventable. The chances of survival from this surgery are high, the only thing standing between the life and death of their son is money.
This is a classic case of Pikuach Nefesh. Chazal debates the extent one must risk his own life to save a fellow Jew. The reward for helping is great because the Torah considers saving one life to be like saving the entire world. No earthly calculator can add up the infinite reward issued to those who take part in saving “This world”. If donors do come together to save Meir’s life, they will have a portion in all of his, and his future family’s, mitzvos. Whether or not he will have that opportunity has yet to be determined.
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