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ALYN WOLDENBERG FAMILY HOSPITALPediatr ic & Adolescent Rehabi l i tat ion Center
ALYN NEWS
All the Love You Need
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A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM DR. MAURIT BEERI Director General ALYN HospitalCombining over 80 years of experience with on-going improvements and initiatives in order to rehabilitate children with a variety of physical challenges, ALYN Hospital continues to be a constantly evolving and developing Rehabilitation Center.
After more than 25 years as Director General of ALYN Hospital Dr. Shirley Meyer handed over the leadership of the Hospital to me in 2011. Under Dr. Meyer’s directorship ALYN has become a renowned pediatric rehabilitation center with a world-wide reputation and I, together with all the staff of the Hospital and ALYN’s Board of Directors thank Dr. Meyer for her enormous contribution over the years.
As I humbly take on the challenge of leading ALYN into its future, I am happy to share with you, in the pages of this ALYN News 2013/2014, the latest updates describing the many varied activities going on within ALYN Hospital.
What drives us is the vision of excellency without compromise, the pursuit of knowledge and the combination of understanding and empathy. We strive to hold out a helping hand to the many families who face numerous difficulties in coping with and bringing up children with special needs.
Our inspiration comes from the belief that every child has the right to realize his/her potential. Children have an amazing ability to face and overcome difficulties and challenges, to learn and to use technological know-how, to find solutions of how to function in society and to “fly high”!
All this is only made possible by the generous support of our worldwide network of caring friends, and we are grateful to you all for endorsing the significance of our work through your loyalty to the children of ALYN Hospital.
On behalf of these children, their families and the staff of ALYN Hospital I thank you all most sincerely for your support and I hope you will continue to be partners with us in providing the children in our care with health and hope.
Yours,
Maurit Beeri, M.D. MPA
ALYN HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS (all volunteer positions):
Mr. Meir Tchorz Chairman of the Board
Mr. Eli Kahn Chairman, ALYN Society
Mr. Yoel Natan Chairman Finance Committee
Mr. Menachem Arbel
Dr. Yair Birenbaum
Adv. Rachel Blumenthal
Prof. David Branski
Dr. Yechezkiel Cain
Mr. Gabi Daus
Mr. Yuval Elitzur
Mr. Zvi Ginnosar
Rabbi Gary Glickstein
Adv. Ya’acov Hirsch
Dr. Mickey Karplus
Adv. Barry Levenfeld
Prof. Ariel Melvitzki
Adv. Mark Sherman
Mr. Eli Shpanitz
Mr. Isaac Sutton
(left) Dr. Shirley Meyer outgoing Director General and (right) Dr. Maurit Beeri
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A REMINDER!ALYN is one of the world’s leading specialists in the active and intensive rehabilitation of children, regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender. ALYN HOSPITAL is the only facility of its kind in Israel.
Whom do we treat? ALYN treats children with a wide range of congenital and acquired conditions including cerebral palsy, neuromuscular diseases, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, burns, terror and motor vehicle accident victims, children suffering from respiratory insufficiency, various feeding disorders and children who require rehabilitation following cancer treatment.
What is the basis of ALYN’s rehabilitation programs? a multidisciplinary and holistic approach use of the latest medical equipment and techniques a personalized program for each patient, constantly adjusted according to the patient’s progress
What are ALYN’s goals for the children in its care?The ultimate aim of ALYN is to rehabilitate the youngsters in its care and to return them, together with their families, to the community as quickly as possible, having provided them with the skills to function as productive, and where possible, independent citizens.
How is ALYN funded?ALYN is an officially registered non-profit facility and only a portion of every child’s care is reimbursed by the Israeli Health Funds or other referring agencies.
Consequently ALYN MUST fundraise in order to cover the costs of the ever-fluctuating “gap” between the Ministry of Health fixed maximum tariffs and the actual costs of the quantity and quality of ALYN’s specialized multidisciplinary therapies which each child in ALYN’s care receives. In addition, ALYN has to raise donations to cover 100% of the funds needed for development which includes the purchase and replacement of equipment, research and special projects as well as renovations and outreach projects within the community.
"WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY!"Help promise the continuation of the quality and quantity of the rehabilitation treatments for FUTURE GENERATIONS OF ALYN CHILDREN by making a bequest to ALYN Hospital TODAY!Recognition for this deeply appreciated gesture is given by means of a hand carved gold ceramic leaf, bearing your name, on our "Tree of Life". www.alyn.org/donate
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NEWS and UPDATES!New Director General of ALYN HospitalIn 2011, after more than 25 years as Director General of ALYN Hospital Dr. Shirley Meyer, under whose directorship the Hospital has become a world renowned pediatric rehabilitation facility, handed over to Dr. Maurit Beeri. Dr. Beeri , a pediatrician who has a M.A. in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, has worked in ALYN for over 12 years. Dr. Meyer is continuing in ALYN as a consultant orthopedist and she is also working on a number of research projects .
Water Orientation Tests developed in ALYN – now the gold standard world-wide! ALYN’s senior hydro-therapist Ruthy Tirosh, who created specialized waterproof evaluation forms WOTA which are now used by hydro-therapists around the world, presented a course on WOTA (Water Orientation Test ALYN) at the prestigious 2011 Aquatic Therapy Rehabilitation Institute’s Conference held in Chicago. Ruthy Tirosh reported that the course participants were very impressed that Israel continues to produce so much serious hydrotherapy research.
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ALYN Hospital awarded MIDOT Seal of Outstanding Effectiveness We are proud to tell all our friends and supporters that ALYN Hospital has been granted the “Non-profit Organization Award of Excellence” from the Israeli Midot Organization.Midot carries out in-depth research into non-profit organizations in accordance with numerous criteria and only a few such organizations receive this recognition.Receiving this award for excellence reflects an objective picture of excellence in management and the effective utilization of the donations which ALYN Hospital receives for the benefit of the children who are being rehabilitated here.With great pride Dr. Maurit Beeri Director General of ALYN Hospital announced the news of this award to the Hospital Staff and she paid tribute to “ the added value which each and every staff member contributes to this excellence”.
ALYN Hospital’s FIRST Pediatric Rehabilitation ConferenceIn September 2012 pediatric rehabilitation professionals from all over Israel attended lectures and workshops at the first 2-day ALYN Pediatric Rehabilitation Conference. Naomi Geffen, ALYN Deputy Director and a veteran occupational therapist who has great expertise in suiting physically challenged children with motorized “vehicles”, headed one of the workshops. “Children who were able only to look ahead can suddenly view their world 360 degrees around when they are mobile in a motorized wheelchair. This gives them a completely different perspective on life. The common expression of confined to a wheelchair is not apt for our children. The vehicles change their life .” Guest speakers at the Conference were Prof. Gary Bedell, occupational therapist from Tufts University, Massachusetts and Prof. Lawrence Vogel, Chief of Pediatrics and Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program at Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Chicago.
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One of the many seminars organized by ALYN staff:Over 100 Israeli pediatric rehabi-litation professionals attended the ALYN seminar: “The Flexible Brain – from Research to Practicality” organized by ALYN’s Psychology Department. The seminar was attended by over 100 medical and paramedical professionals who all work in the field of pediatric rehabilitation and child development. The main subject discussed was how clinical and laboratory data relating to the plasticity of the brain can be applied in a practical way in pediatric rehabilitation.
Psychologist Yoni Shimoni lectures at the workshop
ALYN Hospital continues to lead the way with its Cultural Diversity ProgramALYN Hospital continues to lead the way in implementing measures to make health care more friendly to patients of different backgrounds. In 2011 the Israeli Ministry of Health adapted the ALYN implemented measures as directives to all hospitals in Israel. Over 150 ALYN Hospital staff members have now participated in workshops on the subject of “Cultural Sensitivity within the Treatment Framework”, 14 staff members have taken part in medical translation courses in Russian, Hebrew, Amharic and Spanish and, in addition to ALYN’s synagogue, a Moslem prayer room has recently been opened for use by both staff and patients. Under the directorship of Tal Cohen, Deputy Head of Rehabilitation who is the Hospital’s Cultural Competency Coordinator, ALYN‘s cultural diversity program continues to expand with the staff participating in regular workshops and discussions.
Shaun, Jewish and Amin, Moslem, became inseparable buddies during their rehabilitation in ALYN.
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MAZAL TOV to Ariel and his family! Twelve and a half years after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a rocket attack, Ariel Yered returns to ALYN to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah!In April 2001, less than a year old, Ariel Yered was severely injured by a rocket fired at his home in Gush Katif. He was rushed to hospital but displayed no signs of life. Rocket fragments had split his brain and pierced his spine.
The odds were against him and doctors believed that if he survived he would remain in a vegetative state. Following surgery his condition improved and after 3 weeks in Soroka Hospital Beer Sheva Ariel was admitted to ALYN to begin his long and difficult rehabilitation.
Ariel and his family remained in ALYN for 18 months. To this day he continues his rehabilitation, but all of the tremendous hard work paid off – Ariel is a true “medical miracle” – he is fully functioning and lives a regular life surrounded by his supportive and loving family and community.
On December 12th 2012 Ariel celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at ALYN together with his family and the ALYN staff, many of whom had treated him over 12 years ago! There was not a dry eye when Ariel thanked the staff for all their support during his long rehabilitation in ALYN. Ariel graciously shook hands with all the staff members, gave a moving speech and enjoyed his Bar Mitzvah buffet with so many of his old friends!
Ariel with Dr. Emmanuel Kornitzer, Director of ALYN’s Rehabilitation Department
Ariel with physiotherapists Hemda (left) and Nurit (right) who were thrilled to welcome Ariel back to the Physiotherapy Department where he had worked so hard on his rehabilitation.
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GIVING TEENAGERS THE COURAGE TO FACE THE FUTUREWhen teenagers are admitted to ALYN for rehabilitation not only do they have the regular teen worries and anxieties but, because of their physical disabilities, they have an even larger spectrum of emotional, social and physical needs which must all be addressed by ALYN’s multidisciplinary team.
As with all children admitted to the Hospital, a personalized rehabilitation program is formulated for them which is a combination of therapy, education and emotional support and includes psychological counseling for themselves and their families. One of the many aims of the ALYN staff is to improve the teens’ self- esteem and they try to achieve this by encouraging the teenagers to give their own personal feedback on the rehabilitation program in order to reassure them that they can indeed be in control of their lives.
The complex rehabilitation needs of adolescent patients requires great understanding and sensitivity on the part of the Hospital staff. They must help the teens cope with an extended hospital stay and give them the appropriate support to creatively overcome the physical challenges of illness or injury which often remain with them after they leave ALYN and return to their communities.
On her release from ALYN, thirteen year old Zina (left) wrote this moving “thank you” note to the ALYN staff
“I love ALYN!
ALYN has made it possible for me to return to myself. ALYN has given me the strength and the desire to face the future and that is how I have made progress. I felt the love you all gave to me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
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How can a child, whose face and body have been severely burned, resume regular social activity? How can they return to school? How can they recover from the trauma? How do parents deal with a sense of guilt?
A burn injury is for life and the scars, both physical and psychological, remain forever. Following the accident the patient has to begin a very long, hard, complicated process of healing and rehabilitation including vital emotional rehabilitation which involves enormous challenges for both the patient and their family.
ALYN Hospital doctors and multidisciplinary therapists deal with all these problems –physical, emotional and psychological - and the ALYN staff are there to help the patient and their family return to their lives within the community.
Amin (left) and Tehila (right), who both suffered severe burns in domestic accidents, were rehabilitated in ALYN Hospital. Occupational therapy, physiotherapy and humor therapy were all part of their personalized multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs which were continually evaluated and updated according to each child’s progress.
A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: two of the many children suffering from severe burns who are rehabilitated in ALYN and are able to return to life in the community.
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THANK YOU ALYN
Three year old Yehuda was severely injured in a road accident. After undergoing intensive rehabilitation in ALYN for one year just prior to his release his family wrote the following letter to the ALYN staff:
“Some may call you doctors, nurses, therapists, administrators, secretaries, clowns, dietitians, public relations staff, social workers and maintenance. But we see you as living angels helping to make the holistic healing process take place – mending and shaping limbs, bodies and the mind. We will never forget this experience. How could we? You poured your hearts and souls into this healing process, never once showing difference because of race, religion or color. We had a chance to engage some of you personally, but all whom we saw exemplified the warmth and radiance which we felt every day.”
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One and a half year old Netaley recently underwent surgery for the removal of a brain tumor and she now comes regularly to ALYN for intensive rehabilitation.
“As Netaley’s mother I feel like we’re with extended family whenever we’re at ALYN which makes the challenge that we face with her that much easier to walk through. Over the past months I’ve encountered such great support in every direction, from nurses, therapists, secretaries, as well as other parents and children. ALYN really is a place that helps me to carry on with a smile despite the mountain we’re facing. Watching Netaley develop and regain strength and abilities through the various therapies has been an incredible experience and I’m so grateful for the professional attitude and commitment from all her therapists. Plus, their affection for Netaley has warmed my heart many times. I know that the day we leave ALYN will be a hard one for me! “
A joint physiotherapy & speech therapy treatment
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NEW in ALYN: Therapeutic Gardening as part of physiotherapy treatmentsIn recent years the ALYN paramedical therapists have found that conventional therapy methods have not always been enough to help certain children achieve their rehabilitation goals and therefore, searching as always for solutions, the idea of creating a therapeutic gardening project was born and is now located on the balcony next to ALYN’s Physiotherapy Department.
Headed by physiotherapist Noa Eizenberg, the therapeutic gardening project created 2012 thanks to the donation from David Brooks in memory of his grandparents, is now “blooming”! For many of the children being rehabilitated in ALYN therapeutic gardening sessions are included in their personalized rehabilitation programs. They benefit from and enjoy activities such as digging, planting and watering, which all help to improve fine and gross motor skills, increase cognitive skills and self-esteem and encourage social interaction. One teenage girl who found walking very painful agreed to walk out onto the balcony because she wanted to water her seedlings. A little boy whose hands were severely disfigured as a result of suffering from third degree burns was determined to plant some seedlings and hold a watering can. Another little boy who suffered severe injuries in a road accident and generally found it difficult to concentrate during therapy sessions had no problem focusing on the activities connected to gardening!
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A SONG for RIVKI
Speech therapy“But I trust in your unfailing love;My heart rejoices in your salvation.I will sing the LORD’s praise,For he has been good to me.”
From Psalm 13 verses 5 & 6
Five year old Rivki, injured in an accident, began her rehabilitation in ALYN Hospital whilst she was semi-comatose.
Over the long weeks and months, working hard during her multidisciplinary therapy sessions, encouraged and reassured by her family and the ALYN staff she began to make progress – step by step. Her beautiful smile and her determination inspired everyone around her and despite the demanding challenges which she had to overcome she never seemed to give up.
Slowly Rivki began to regain her functional mobility. After almost one year in ALYN’s in-patient Rehabilitation Department Rivki “graduated” to ALYN’s Day Hospitalization Department where she continued to receive rehabilitation therapies. Finally, the day came when she was released from ALYN and able to return to her community… full-time. This was indeed a cause for great celebration for Rivki and her family.
Yonatan Razal, her father and the well-known Israeli musician, composed this beautiful song of thanksgiving as he sat one night by his daughter’s bedside in ALYN Hospital.
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Fadi and his mother ready to go home!
ALYN’s Pediatric Respiratory Rehabilitation DepartmentA STORY TO TOUCH THE HEART: Hospitalized since birth, eighteen month old Fadi, from a Beduin family, went home for the first time in his life thanks to the staff of ALYN Hospital’s Pediatric Respiratory Rehabilitation Department.Fadi was born with a congenital heart disease. Although he underwent successful heart surgery in a general hospital he remained dependent on a tracheostomy and ventilator. Fadi’s condition was so complex that his parents could not provide the 24 hour a day medical care which he needed and therefore he could not go home. So Fadi was admitted to ALYN’s intensive Pediatric Respiratory Rehabilitation Department under the Directorship of Dr. Eliezer Be’eri.
As for all the children in ALYN Hospital, a personalized intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation program was created for Fadi and after just a few months the staff of the Pediatric Respiratory Rehabilitation Department had successfully weaned him off the ventilator, tracheostomy and oxygen! Dr. Be’eri and his staff, not to mention Fadi’s parents and Fadi himself, were thrilled the day that he went home… for the first time in his life!
Occupational therapy
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ALYN’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Nurses Provide a New Service to the Community: Training of caregivers who accompany children, who have tracheostomies, to school.Israeli Ministry of Health regulations require that children with tracheostomies be accompanied to school by a caregiver who has been trained in tracheostomy care. As most caregivers generally do not have a medical background ALYN’s Pediatric Respiratory Rehabilitation nurses have stepped into the role of instructors and now offer courses on the subjects of routine tracheostomy care, recognizing signs of breathing difficulty and how to act if respiratory distress does occur.
ALYN’s Pediatric Respiratory Rehabilitation Department is the only one in the world which has incorporated within it a communal play area for social interaction Dr. Eliezer Be’eri, Director of the Department explains: “A special area has been created where parents can interact with their ventilated child during “down time” in the same way that parents around the world play with their young children … on the floor!. Such ongoing and informal interaction between parent and child is the backbone of normal childhood development and children who are ventilated are no different. It is my belief that we MUST treat each patient holistically and help them to develop their personality and social skills.”
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Dear ALYN riders, sponsors and friends, Our 13th annual Bar Mitzva Ride was nothing short of fantastic… with more than its share of excitement and challenges! In addition to the unexpected winds and rains, the expected climbs and even-steeper climbs, we all returned with a poignant, and very much firsthand, appreciation for the challenges encountered by Israelis living in the south of the country, and for the State of Israel as a whole.
Over the past 13 years, the Wheels of Love Ride has grown and developed from a small band of 9 riders in 2000 to the premier Israeli multi-day sporting event; from a devoted family of ALYN supporters to a professional operation able to provide an amazing experience to 700 riders from 12 countries on 5 different routes for 5 very full days.
In Jewish tradition, 13 years is a unique milestone. It is a point of reckoning and reflection; a crossroads for looking back and gazing ahead.
We look back with great pride at the operation that we have all developed, the friends we’ve made, the sore muscles we’ve soothed, and the exhilaration we have felt. We look back at the experiences we have garnered, the numbers of lives we have touched, and of course – most importantly – at the over $20,000,000 that we’ve raised for the children of ALYN Hospital over these years.
And now is the time to look ahead. Just as a 13-year old young adult cannot simply rest on his or her laurels, neither can we.
As we start preparing the 2013 Ride, we turn to all of you – our partners in this incredible mission – and encourage you to join us in our efforts take ALYN to the next level: to build upon the base of riders and sponsors that we already have, to spread the word of the Hospital’s incredible mission, and to share the stories of the lives that ALYN is changing every single day, 365 days/year.
On the behalf of the entire Ride Organizing Committee and the fantastic WOL staff, we wish you all a great beginning of the 2013 year – and look forward to seeing you again on October 27th 2013, somewhere up north!
Eli Kazhdan
Chair, WOL Ride Organizing Committee
THE 13th BAR MITZVAH WHEELS OF LOVE RIDE!
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THE 14TH ALYN “WHEELS OF LOVE” INTERNATIONAL CHARITY BIKE RIDE 2013 FOR THE CHILDREN OF ALYN HOSPITALOCTOBER 27th TO 31th 20135 unforgettable days of cycling along 5 different routes in the spectacular scenery of Northern Israel
For details and registration: www.alynride.org
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From ALYN Head Nurse to veteran volunteer!Betty Mayer, a holocaust survivor from Holland, made aliyah in the 1950’s and whilst working as a nurse in a general hospital she contracted polio and became dependent on a wheelchair. In 1971 Betty was appointed Head Nurse of ALYN’s Orthopedic Department and she was an inspiration to thousands of patients who were rehabilitated under her care. She held the position for 25 years and following her retirement Betty decided to volunteer on a regular basis in ALYN’s Resource Development Department. Whilst Rivki (see story page 13) was hospitalized in ALYN, part of her regular Monday morning routine was to come and visit Betty who is her Great Aunt!
Twenty five year old Simon Schless studied physiotherapy in the U.K. and decided to do his final 3 month internship at ALYN Hospital. The Director of the Physiotherapy Department then offered him a permanent position and Simon decided to accept it and make aliyah!
Simon says, “It is impossible to convey in words my experiences since I came to ALYN. I can only say now, after working as part of the team, that I cannot see myself belonging anywhere else in the world except the family that is ALYN Hospital, a true example of the selfless kindness rarely seen nowadays.”
ALYN contributes to Aliyah!
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All the children featured in the ALYN News 2013/2014, together with their families and the ALYN Hospital staff, sincerely thank our International Chapters and Groups, together with the thousands of individuals and the many foundations, funds, organizations, synagogues, committees and schools all over the world who collect funds directly for the Hospital. Words cannot express our appreciation for your devoted support and partnership.
U.S.A.American Friends of ALYN Hospital : Cathy Lanyard, Executive Director [email protected] Friends of ALYN : Sharon Cohen, President [email protected] Friends of ALYN : Beverly Freedman, President [email protected] Friends of ALYN : Dr. Joel Kula, Director [email protected]
U.K.Friends of ALYN London: Maureen Lowry, Hon. Secretary [email protected] Aid for ALYN: Sharon Barnett, Chairperson [email protected] Charitable Committee London: Fenella Young & Leon Levy, Co-Chair [email protected] Friends of ALYN : Clarice Osborne, [email protected] Friends of ALYN: Lynne Kersh, Treasurer [email protected] Friends of ALYN: Jane Lazare, Chairwoman [email protected]
EUROPEAustria Verein Der Freunde Von ALYN Osterreich: Sara Moskovics, ChairwomanFrance Amis D’ALYN: Dr. Richard Sion, PresidentFriends of ALYN Holland : Suzy Raber-Meerschwam, Chairwoman [email protected] Amici di ALYN : Capt. Aldo Izzo, President [email protected] of ALYN Sweden : Dan-Louis Schneider, Chairman [email protected] of ALYN Switzerland: provisional contact Brenda Hirsch, Director Resource Development ALYN Hospital [email protected]
ISRAELJerusalem Fund for ALYN : Monique Schwartz, Chairwoman [email protected]
PLEASE be PARTNERS with us
in helping us to continue rehabilitating all the children featured here and the thousands of others who are treated in ALYN Hospital every year. At ALYN Hospital physically challenged children learn to overcome their disabilities and often “the sky is the limit” to what they can achieve, with our help... AND YOURS!
YOUR DONATION REALLY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
in helping to bridge the average shortfall of $70 per child per day which exists between the fixed reimbursements received and the costs of both the quality and quantity of the multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatments which each child receives in ALYN Hospital.
Name
Address
City Code Country
I would like to be a partner with ALYN and wish to give a gift of
and enclose my check made payable to ALYN Hospital
Credit card - Visa, Mastercard and American Express-donations can be phoned in to: Israel ++ 972 2 6494224 | USA 1 212 869 8085
84 Shmaryahu Levin Street, Kiryat Hayovel, P.O.B. 9117, Jerusalem 91090 ISRAEL
Tel: 972-2-6494224 Fax. 972-2-6433653
רח' שמריהו לוין 84, קרית היובל, ת.ד. 9117, ירושלים 91090,
טל: 02-6494224 פקס: 02-6433653
www.alyn.org [email protected]
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