How it started…

Through running the clinic, we regularly encounter disabled children who come for consultations due to illness. Having a disabled child is an incredibly challenging task, especially for mothers. There is a significant taboo surrounding having a disabled child. In most cases, these women have been abandoned by their spouses and are left alone to care for this child and other children.

Earning a living is very difficult for these women, as the disabled child requires around-the-clock care. I often found myself deeply moved by these women and my desire was to encourage them in their situation.

This opportunity arose with the commitment of a very dear friend, who is a pediatric physiotherapist and was willing to hold consultations at Ahava for two days every month. Her husband, a professional woodworker, crafts all the walking aids, special chairs, and frames that help children learn to stand upright, sit, or walk.

A nurse from Ahava conducts follow-ups and assists on consultation days. Sometimes, we witness wonderful results in children who just needed that extra support to be able to sit, stand, and sometimes even walk. We refer children to an orthopedic hospital for surgery or specialized equipment, and we see possibilities that didn’t exist before.

The most remarkable aspect is that we can stand beside these women, encourage them, provide advice, teach, and listen to them. In this program, we collaborate with the physiotherapist from the District Hospital. We encourage the mothers to utilize this facility in addition to Ahava.