(Courtesy of ICSN) In between his course of chemotherapy drips at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Yossi makes his way over to the inviting ICSN care corner in the Oncology Department. “For me this is like nirvana, because I’m able to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a piece of cake, whenever I need. It relieves the stress and boredom of doing all these treatments,” Yossi said with a smile creasing his face.

Yossi, who is in his 30’s, has been battling leukemia on and off for half of his life. It has been an arduous journey for him and his doting mother, a noted rebbetzin who grew up in the UK and moved to Israel, when her husband took up a rabbinical posting in Israel’s periphery years ago.

“It’s so difficult sometimes, because Yossi hasn’t had a medical breakthrough and I have been with him all through this process,” she said. “It’s hard to watch him go through this but he is always smiling, which gives me hope, even though only the Almighty will know what his fate will be.”

She struggles with her emotions as she considers her son’s future. One thought gives her comfort, “Without the assistance from the people at the Israel Cancer Support Network (ICSN), I don’t know where we would be. They are always there to provide transportation for us, to help with getting Yossi appointments with the top doctors. And, they make sure that the ‘care corners’ are always freshly stocked all hours of the day and night. A hot drink is like a ray of sunshine when things might look bleak.”