For Yarden Berger (45) and her husband Yoav (39) from Rekhasim, a small town outside of Haifa, the road to parenthood was not simple. Their tragic story ends with hope, symbolized by a Hanukkah Menorah that they crafted to symbolize their journey from darkness to light (a Hanukkah theme). Now, the couple would like to sell the Menorah and donate the proceeds to the Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, at Rambam, Haifa, where they found help and eventually became parents.
Expecting twins, things took an unexpected turn in the twentieth week of Yarden’s pregnancy. In a moving post on social media, she wrote: “On March 19, 2015, our lives changed completely. Yoav and I had plans and dreams for the future, and in an instant, the stillbirth of our twins – preceded by two miscarriages – broke our hearts. We arrived at the hospital for an examination, and suddenly I went into preterm labor resulting in stillbirths. The time following the stillbirths was difficult; it was terrible to leave the hospital empty-handed.”
She went on to explain how they coped with the pain and loss: “I wrote down my thoughts, and slowly, I shared them with others. I needed to express my feelings and not suffer my pain alone. Yoav, a metal artist, found comfort in his craft. He was able to turn iron, a cold, hard, and seemingly unyielding medium, into something new.”
One year later, Yarden became pregnant for the fourth time. Emotions were high, but hope and excitement were accompanied by fear and concern. The possibility of losing another child and being left ‘empty-handed’ was almost more than the couple could bear.
“On the advice of a friend, we turned to the Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Rambam, and they monitored my pregnancy,” Yarden shares. The pregnancy was overseen by Dr. Ido Solt, Director of the Mrs. Edith and Prof. Dov Katz Maternal and Fetal Medicine Unit. “I remember my first visit at Rambam, I was in my tenth week of this pregnancy, precisely one year after the stillbirth of our twins. I was waiting for my appointment, surrounded by expectant mothers. I wanted to run away but fortunately, I was able to control myself. After our appointment with Dr. Solt, it was clear that we had come to the right place.”
The pregnancy progressed and close to her due date, Yarden arrived at Rambam for a routine examination. All was well, but she insisted on another opinion. “I will never forget Dr. Solt’s words, ‘Sometimes there is no faulting a woman’s intuition. We induced labor, and it was just as well that we decided to do so.’”
An emergency Caesarian Section was performed but the infant – a baby girl – was not breathing. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. The medical team performed resuscitation, bringing breath and life to the newborn. “Thanks to Dr. Solt and the team on duty that day, we got our daughter, Alona, back. They saved her and us as well,” the Bergers recount.
Three years later, another light entered the Bergers’ life with the birth of their son, Amitai. Yarden wrote in her post, “We felt that Rambam was integral to the process. We felt well cared for by the Rambam team, and knew we could trust them. We were under Dr. Solt’s supervision for the entire pregnancy. Every member of the medical teams involved in both births is engraved in our hearts.”
Yarden went on to share how their experience “birthed” Yoav’s idea for a way to give back to those who had helped them. “Every week he met with friends, and together they forged a beautiful, iron Hanukkah Menorah. The Menorah symbolizes our struggle, pain, loss, and the light that came afterward – Alona and Amitai.”
Ending her post, Yarden wrote, “Rambam’s medical team gave us everything, our life, happiness, and two precious gifts.”
This week, the couple lit the festival candles in their iron Menorah. The joy-filled couple now plan to sell the Menorah and donate the proceeds to the Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Rambam.
Read the original Hebrew article, published on the Mako news website.