BH today was a picture perfect day for Eli and he enjoyed every minute of it. We got out altogether and relaxed until it was time to light menorah which for this year will be the last that Eli lights with a fire. The last 3 nights will be with electric bulbs in CHLA. Late in the day we were together for dinner at Bubby and Zaidys house which all of our family that is in LA attended.

At 9PM we checked into CHLA for round 5 of 7 of immunotherapy. Eli is now settled in bed and is in middle of a blood transfusion to get him to the required levels per the protocol.

If I’m correct today is the one year anniversary of the day in the hebrew calendar that Eli was diagnosed. This last year to say has been challenging would be an understatement but at the same time we have never learned more in our lives. From the days leading up to the diagnosis when we knew something was terribly wrong and thru ought the many sleepless nights after that to the long weeks of chemotherapy and days after of recuperating Eli has taught us what it means no matter what’s going on always BE HAPPY. Yes he had days that he physically wasn’t able to do anything and it was difficult for us to see him like that but always somehow he found a way to make it easy for us between his humor or his relaxed smile thru all his pain it has taught us many hard new lessons.

There are also many organizations and people that have made this year a lot more bearable for Eli, ourselves and our family. There are daily meals that are brought to the hospital for us by Rabbi Heshy Ten and Bikur Cholim LA who have been there since the minute Eli was diagnosed and haven’t stopped arranging amazing meals and have always made sure that there is “yidishe” blood in Elis blood bank at CHLA and when needed platelets as well. The endless amount they have done for us is truly unimaginable. We also without knowing who the donors are and have been owe them a tremendous amount of hakaras hatov for taking the time on Elis behalf to donate blood/platelets.

Then there is Chai Lifeline whose endless care packages, social services, surgeons, flights, and many other services that would take a long time to write. They always think of ideas for Eli for us as parents for the sister and brother and endless arrangements have done wonders in every way possible to make this year a lot more manageable then we in our wildest dreams wouldn’t imagine. So to Marilyn, Randi, Alyssa, Gila, Leah, Esther Schwartz, Rabbi Scholar and all of CL all we can simply say is thank you and we hope one day to somehow return the chesed you have shown us.

The list of individuals that have done for us this year is pages long and there are many we don’t even know about. But as a whole you very quickly learn what true friends are. There are people that literally take the words “imo anochi btzara” and take it to a new level. I can’t go into detail but when you get endless texts of chizuk whether its daily, or every erev shabos asking and showing how much they care even though they are thousands of miles away it makes you realize what a real caring person is. From the people that have made every shabos special with their cakes, cookies, kugels, gifts etc etc. The emails we receive, comments on this blog, presents and toys and so much more. There are packages that come from all over the neighborhood, there are letters that come in the mail from one person weekly from others every so often from some people once but the caring it has shown to us and especially to Eli (who knows and realizes every single thing that has been done on his behalf) it lights the warmest fire in our hearts that is there to stay.

Our parents who have and continue to be there for our every need at anytime from early morning to late at night to during the night and everything in between. Our siblings who always are there some physically and the rest from out of town be it your teddy bears, games, pictures, tehilims, letters and so much more we love you.

To the “uncles and aunts” none of them literally but all of them are considered to our kids and Eli like the real deal you know who you and you mean the world to us. Eli, Sori and Ari as well as Bassy and I know we can and have always counted on you to always do everything and anything possible from babysitting to literally taking out the garbage to doing our shopping. Thanks a million.

To the other families that have gone thru what we are going thru with their children and have told us and taught us so much and have always been a shoulder to vent to and ask for advice and truly understand what we are going thru all we can say is you and your children should know of ONLY and continuous gezunt and you should be zoche to see only nachas from them.

So to the people that have done so much and continue to do so much and have done so without wanting an ounce of appreciation we say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts and may we all be zoche to see Elimelech Ben Basya continue to only give us nachas and beezrat hashem reach the ultimate goal of a refua shelayma bkarov.