Community Magazine October 2009

“You don’t know me,” the man on the other end of the phone told Dr. Schussheim, President of Efrat – C.R.I.B. “I’m calling from the U.S. but I would like to donate a sizeable sum to Efrat.” Dr. Schussheim was thrilled, of course, but then, the man, who would not give his name, said something that caught him completely off guard. “I would like my donation to be used for one specific purpose – to finance an awareness campaign. “My goal is to publicize and bring the work of Efrat to the attention of every woman in Israel. I want all pregnant women undergoing financial difficulties and considering abortion to know the options available to them. The choice is theirs, the chance is theirs. They are not driving down a one- way street. Efrat will enable them to choose, and to choose wisely.” Dr. Schussheim asked the anonymous donor why he wanted his money earmarked specifically for this unconventional purpose, and the man told him his story: I am an Israeli. About six and a half years ago, I lost my job. My wife was expecting, and given our grim financial situation, we decided to abort the baby. We had no difficulty obtaining permission to perform the procedure. Our baby was doomed. Just a few hours before my wife was to be admitted to the hospital, we heard a knock on the door. A stranger, with a baby in her arms, stood in the doorway. “I will take only a few moments of your time,” she said. We agreed to listen and soon found that we could not doubt her sincerity as she began to tell us her story. She pointed to her baby. “I was facing severe financial difficulties, pregnant and alone. I was scared for my baby, scared for myself. In my desperation, I could see only one way out of my predicament – abortion. Shortly before the scheduled abortion, I heard a knock at my door, just as you did, today. A lovely woman came to speak to me. She seemed to know just what I was feeling as she told me about Efrat, the organization established for women just like me, who needed support in order to maintain their pregnancies and save the lives of their babies.” This woman told us that she called the organization – and after some caring, encouragement and support, the result was the beautiful infant cradled in her arms. My wife and I were moved to tears, especially upon seeing the smile on her face as she hugged her baby. It was enough for us. We decided to cancel the abortion and save our child. Efrat accompanied us every step of the way, assisting us until my wife gave birth to our gorgeous Danny. Do you remember us, Dr. Schussheim?\ Not surprisingly, Dr. Schussheim did not immediately recall their story. Over the years, there have been thousands of “Dannys” who owe their lives to him and his organization. We immigrated toAmerica six months after Danny was born. We worked hard and our financial situation began to improve. Today, we enjoy a comfortable and wealthy lifestyle. I am not a religious man, Dr. Schussheim, but make no mistake. I fervently believe that we owe our joyous and happy lives to one person, our miracle, Danny. Efrat was directly responsible for saving our baby and for our present happiness. We had never heard of Efrat and of the many lives you’ve saved. If not for the wonderful volunteer who opened her heart to us, we would have committed a horrendous blunder, one that we could never, ever rectify. Now you understand, Doctor, why I wish to bring the work of Efrat to every woman. Who knows how many women are out there who need help, who want to have their babies, and don’t know how? Efrat is the way how. It would mean so much to me if I could enable every mother and father to be given the same chance we were. The campaign was duly initiated, and soon, large billboards arose all over the country, bringing the message to all who need help. The results were swift and heartwarming: the number of clients rose dramatically, as did the numbers of babies saved. While money cannot always save lives, when generosity and wisdom combine, when vision and vigor unite, miracles can occur. Your Stories of Everyday Miracles The “DANNY” Campaign An Efrat billboard which translates as “Because of money [we] don’t end a life. Are you expecting and experiencing financial difficulties? Turn to the Efrat organization.” 44 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE