He came to Rambam battling Cancer and left with a vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace. Meet the man who decided to build a bridge between people, starting in Haifa and extending to the Palestinian Authority.
The Joseph Fishman Oncology Center at
Rambam Health Care Campus.
Photography: Micky and Gal Koren.
Every year an estimated 1,200 Palestinians, children and adults, residents of the Palestinian Authority (PA) areas, arrive at Rambam Health Care Campus to receive treatment. A few months ago, M’, in his forties, made his way to Haifa from the PA to receive treatment for cancer. However, the last time he returned to Rambam—it was to give. He made a financial contribution to the hospital that saved his life, in order to build a bridge of peace through medicine.
M’ is a senior figure in the PA. A few months ago, medical tests revealed he had a cancerous growth and he was referred to Rambam for further medical investigation and treatment. While hospitalized, M’ met many patients and their families from the PA areas, and began to take particular interest in the unique needs of hospitalized children, both Israeli residents and those who come from outside of Israel’s borders. After completing a round of treatment, he decided to make a financial contribution in order to improve the conditions of children treated at Rambam.
Recently he returned to Rambam to meet with the team that treated him, as well as the management of the new Joseph Fishman Oncology Center and representatives from the Department of International Relations. In a small and intimate ceremony, M’ donated tens of thousands of shekels to establish a playroom for children undergoing radiation therapy. The unique playroom will be situated in the Institute of Radiology of the Joseph Fishman Oncology Center, specially designed and adapted to the needs of children being treated there, and providing a relaxing and supportive environment before and after treatment.
"When I arrived at Rambam, I saw a medical team that treats its patients with dedication, but I also saw the suffering of sick children," recalls M’, "Palestinian children, Israelis, Syrians, and children from other countries who are being treated at Rambam for serious illnesses and are in need of all the help they can get." He continued, "I decided to make a donation to help save human lives apart from any political considerations. Both Israeli and Palestinian societies suffer from violence and I am striving for a situation where we all can contribute to peace and health: to treat children, save lives, share knowledge, and train Palestinian doctors at Rambam, in order to improve the state of the health systems and the capacity to treat people in the PA areas, and to encourage others to donate and contribute to the betterment of health within our two nations. Medicine is a bridge between peoples and my hope is that with the help of this small contribution and others like it in the future, we will all see a better tomorrow."
