Yaakov, just a little tyke of 2.5 years, peers up at me. His sky-blue eyes are as innocent as can be in the sterile hospital hallway as he searches for a toy and finds a friend instead. But the spark of childish play is noticeably missing. This is different.
This isn't playtime at home. This is the stark reality of a hospital and chemo sessions.
When he sees me, he looks a bit shy, wondering who's visiting. But a smile from me gets one back from him. It's a small win in a challenging time.
Finally, his mother Malky closes her laptop and gives me her full attention.
“I am so sorry,” she says.
“It’s just been so crazy, there are not enough hours in the day. Thank you so much for coming.” Malky smiles appreciatively, but I see the exhaustion on her face.
“You know, I always saw people’s sob stories online...I never thought we'd be one.”
Suddenly, her tears just can’t be held back anymore. They’re rolling down her cheeks as she spills her heart out to me. Malky tells me she's at the end of her rope – she can’t bear to see her little Yaakov in so much pain. She shares the exhausting bus rides that take hours, the never-ending chores at home, and the stress of work. Every waking moment, her mind is consumed with worry for Yaakov. She tries to pray, tries to have faith, but the fear of losing him is all too real.
Glancing over at Yaakov, Malky breathes a sigh of relief that he’s too busy building a tower to notice her tears. When we’re done talking, she sits down on the floor next to him, and they start playing together. These precious, simple moments are what she lives for.
Malky tells me she and her husband Mordechai didn’t think twice about using their life savings for Yaakov’s treatments.
“What parent wouldn’t?” she says.
But the well has run dry. There’s nothing left.
“I can’t describe what it’s like watching my little toddler suffer, and battle for his very life, as we sit here helpless. Please…help us continue treatment. Giving up is absolutely not an option but…we have no way of keeping our precious Yaakov alive without your support. The only thing standing in the way of Yaakov surviving and thriving is money.”
Donations to save Yaakov’s life are being urgently collected here.