[COMMUNICATED]
When the spread of the coronavirus first began, doctors predicted that its ripple effects would reach far and wide. One such ripple is that many people suffering other illnesses, such as heart attacks and stroke, are often afraid to go to the hospital, lest they contract the virus. Medical professionals strongly urge people to go to the ER when they have a medical emergency, so that there will not be an uptick in other kinds of fatalities. While staff do their best to keep conditions sterile, infections do still happen. One such infection was the tragic case of Israeli father of 9 Rabbi Yigal Garma.
Garma’s wife and sons were relocated to a “corona hotel” recently after testing positive for COVID-19. Rabbi Garma, whose test came back negative, remained at home. It was a trying period for all: He had long suffered heart problems, and was nervous to be on his own. One day shortly after Pesach, he collapsed and needed to be hospitalized. The Garma family watched on in horror from afar as he suffered internal bleeding, and heart surgery was scheduled. In a shocking twist, however, Rabbi Garma contracted the coronavirus during his hospital stay, and the virus killed him before his surgery could take place.
The family, devastated by their separation, received the news and are now sitting shiva in their “corona hotel” rooms. When they return home, it will be a vastly different life.
Widow Rebbetzin Garma is now raising 8 children (1 is out of the house) in a small apartment in Bnei Brak, alone. Her husband’s life ultimately ended in isolation, and now she suffers a new kind of isolation: That of the widow.
Donations are being collected to help her achieve the impossibility of supporting her family singlehandedly.
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