Haredi activists in Israel recently shared the story of a sick three-month-old child. It boils down to life and death being weighed on the scales of money alone.
Three months ago a beautiful, adorable baby boy was born to the Kornblitt family. Immediately after his birth, it was discovered that he suffered from major heart defects. His parents realized they'd need to fly him to the US for critical treatments, but thought there was still time.
One Shabbos, he lost consciousness, stopped breathing, and started turning blue. His parents frantically called the EMTs, he underwent resuscitation and was brought to the hospital, where he was comatose and intubated. The doctors decided he needed to be flown immediately to a hospital in Boston for a lifesaving operation.
It was "all systems go"- and everyone involved went as far as to perform activities normally forbidden on Shabbos, including obtaining the necessary documents and arranging the emergency flight. Srulik, comatose and intubated, was flown straight to the Boston hospital's operating room, where the surgery was performed, and he regained consciousness, b"H.
Click here to help Rochel and Ya'akov Yosef Kornblitt save baby Srulik's life!
Thank G-d, the baby suffered no apparent damage. He smiled and gurgled, alert and responsive to his surroundings. His beautiful big eyes radiated the message: "I want to live!"- and his mother Rochel's eyes filled with tears as she promised him that she would do everything in her power to achieve that.
R' Ya'akov Yosef Kornblitt, the baby's father, continued to act on all fronts to help save his tiny son.
The doctors informed them that although the operation was indeed a success, Srulik needed a series of operations to stabilize him and insure his capability to survive.
Without these operations, tiny Srulik's life would be cut tragically short, G-d forbid.
His parents pleaded with the doctors to perform the additional operations, but the answer was pointed: First any outstanding debt from the first operation needed to be paid, and then the payment for additional operations must be made. Only afterwards would they move on to the next operations.
Israeli medical activists argued with the hospital financial representative that a life was at stake here, and that the doctors' medical vow obligates them to perform the lifesaving surgeries, but the representative dryly said that "this is the way we do things in America. We don’t operate until the money's in the bank account."
The family, with the help of good-hearted and dedicated activists, began to raise money but to their distress, they saw they had no option except to appeal to the greater public for additional assistance.
"This is my child," sobbed the mother, "He's so sweet, he's so adorable and special; please allow me to help him stay alive!"
Click here to help Rochel and Ya'akov Yosef Kornblitt save baby Srulik's life!