Unheard of CT Scan

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for your calls and enquiries and offers of help. Words cannot express our gratitude to you all – the moral support definitely helps us feel stronger during this difficult time.

How we wish we could respond in turn with good news about our son! Unfortunately we have no good news (although on some level we know that everything is for the good). Yitzchak Meir is currently in Shaarei Tzedek recovering from pneumonia (a common ailment resulting from his neurological condition). During his first few days in the intensive care unit a CT scan was taken of his brain. It showed overwhelming damage, and was far, far worse than the first scan which was taken six weeks ago. Professor Steinberg, who is a top pediatric neurogist had himself never seen anything like it. It was not a result of the birth trauma, but of some preexisting condition either from before, during or after the birth. Whatever it is, whether it has a name or not, is now irrelevant. Professor Steinberg has said that our little boy does not have a long time to live – he can’t give us specifics as no doctor is a navi (prophet). We are doing our best to accept this gezera min hashamayim (decree from Heaven). For Ella it was far worse not to know what would be than having something definitive, albeit tragic. We regard it as a zchus (honour) to have brought down this most precious neshama into the world to do its tikkun. It is unlikely that our baby will come home again. We have no regrets about the short time he was home, however; that our family and friends got to see and hold our beautiful Yitchak Meir. People often ask us if we wish for them to daven for our son. In response, we ask that you should daven that our little son shouldn’t suffer, that we should have strength and fortitude and that Hashem should do what is for the best for all of us. In our pain we see our brochos; our little baby seems not to be suffering and we have wonderful volunteers who can be with him when we are not. In addition, we have the wholehearted support and concern of our family, friends and community. So many people have called us with unbelievable contacts and connections which have enabled us to get through this time with information and support. If not for Yitzchak Meir, there are some incredible people who I wouldn’t have got to know. We are sorry our story doesn’t have a ‘happy ending’. Or then again, maybe it does. We haven’t let this destroy us – we have grown a lot from our trial and we hope that it has changed us for the better. We have also learned how amazing people can be; those countless friends and friends of friends and even strangers who became friends, who have rooted for us when the chips were down. May we all merit to share only simchas and to see the geula shleima (redemption) speedily in our days.

Lev and Ella