The Lifesaving Transfer

Just several weeks ago, Moshe (not his real name), a young father, was admitted to a small New York hospital with an injury. After all the scans were done, the doctors were stunned to discover that he was suffering from an advanced cancer. The disease was so severe, they said, that they could not discharge him from the hospital until he initiated chemotherapy treatment. The oncologist on the floor prescribed one chemo drug and pressured the patient to sign off on the treatment plan.

Family members panicked and immediately contacted the RCCS office. RCCS questioned the prescribed treatment plan and insisted that a competent second opinion must be obtained before treatment can begin. Our staff, in consultation with physicians, agreed that time was very much of the essence to begin treatment, yet they were not confident in the tests done and treatment plan given. They concluded that the wiser path would be to delay treatment until the transfer to another facility could take place and a better physician could be consulted, but only if all this would happen within a few hours.

RCCS did not waste a minute. They assisted the family in their difficult battle with the hospital to allow the discharge and together with the family, arranged a speedy transfer via ambulette to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Upon arrival at Mount Sinai, Moshe was immediately seen by a top oncologist, who was shocked to learn that the original hospital had not even provided a full work-up and was basing the treatment plan on insufficient testing. The doctor immediately ordered a battery of tests, which revealed a more accurate diagnosis. The physician then prescribed a treatment regimen far more effective and sophisticated than the plan that the physician at the previous facility had insisted upon.

Thankfully, Moshe has already seen significant positive progress on his journey to healing. His body has responded well, and he is regaining his strength at a top rehabilitation facility. He is expected to undergo additional rounds of treatment, and we are all praying that they should be successful. At the same time, we are confident that as a result of RCCS’s professionalism and quick action, siyata dishmaya (with God’s help), Moshe is receiving the highest quality care available.

From Our Headquarters in Israel

Racheli (not her real name), a woman from Mitzpeh Yericho has been struggling with cancer for many years. Throughout her entire ordeal, RCCS has been at her side, literally holding her hand through the entire process. Because of Racheli’s illness, not only has she been unable to work, but her husband has had to leave his job in order to look after her, creating terrible stress and a sense of foreboding that permeates their home. Our greatest wish has been to find a way to give this young woman and her family the hope that their nightmare will soon come to an end. With tremendous siyata dishmaya (heavenly assistance), we may have gotten our wish.

Racheli required a specialized test, called “next generation sequencing” that RCCS has sponsored twice for her. At the same time, we learned, through a tremendous amount of research, that there was a new medication that would hopefully help to place her on the road to recovery. The problem was that the medication was prohibitively expensive. What were we going to do? While we were researching various possible ways to offset the costs of the medicine, the results from her sequencing testing came in and we were ecstatic. The findings from the test qualified Racheli to enter a medical trial that would get her the much-needed medication at no cost!

As we print this story, the results of the trial have been extremely encouraging and Racheli and her family’s spirits are beginning to rise once again.

RCCS, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization, provides an array of unique services to cancer patients and their families, enabling them to secure the best possible medical care. Notably, among the myriad services offered by RCCS is medical referrals and support, as well as health insurance premiums and medical subsidies, which provide patients with broader access to global oncologists and leaders in the cancer treatment field.

For patient services, please call (718) 722 2002. For more information, please visit www.rccscancer.org  or contact Dovid Cofnas at (201) 575 9080 or [email protected]

By Rabbi Dovid Cofnas,
Regional Director of Development