As much as the pandemic dominates our news sources and conversations, most people are not too worried about what will happen if they contract the virus. Mrs. Greenblatt was not one of those people.
A grandmother fighting cancer, she was told by doctors that there was no way she would survive COVID. Mrs. Greenblatt was in the middle of chemotherapy treatments, and essentially had no working immune system. Each Friday night she prayed by her shabbos candles that she should be protected. Then, one week, she realized she could not taste her famous chicken soup. That’s when she knew.
It only took a few days for Mrs. Greenblatt to become very ill. Her daughter Rivka stayed by her side, tending to her needs. When she began to have difficulty breathing in the middle of the night, Rivka was left with a dilemma: Call an ambulance, or do something drastic. Knowing how overcrowded the COVID wards were, and how likely her mother was to be put on a respirator upon arriving, she chose the second option. In a robe and slippers, and with all of the courage she could muster, Rivka Greenblatt walked down the street to the door of neighbor Rav Avraham Solomon. And at 2 in the morning on a Wednesday night, she knocked as hard as she could.
To her surprise, Rav Solomon had a smile on his face. He was used to these hours. Rav Solomon runs a chesed organization which distributes oxygen machines to COVID patients. So far they have had tremendous success: They currently have 120 patients using machines at home. Lives have been saved, and many have avoided unnecessary visits to crowded COVID wards, where doctors have had to make grim decisions as to prioritizing patients. He gave the Greenblatts a machine and with monitoring and guidance they were able to bring Mrs. Greenblatt’s oxygen levels up to a healthy level. Against all odds, she survived, and can now focus on fighting cancer and enjoying her family COVID-free.
Recently, however, Rav Solomon has not been answering the door with his usual smile. The organization has run out of oxygen machines, and has no funds for more supplies. This week alone they have turned away 16 families.
Funds are being urgently raised to help purchase more machines, so that more lives can be saved. Rav Solomon and his team of volunteers are more than ready to spend their days and nights saving lives by keeping moderately ill COVID patients out of the ICU – All they are missing is the resources.
CLICK HERE TO BUY AN OXYGEN MACHINE
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