Battling serious illness was never simple, but the current health crisis multiplied the challenges Chai Lifeline families face each day anew.

Some of the hundreds of difficult dilemmas these families faced over the past weeks:

• A father battling cancer went into quarantine in a different city, since his children were exposed to COVID-19. How did his wife make Pesach while caring for their 6 children on her own?
• A cancer patient’s wife was hospitalized with COVID-19. How did he take care of his young children and prepare for Pesach?
• A toddler with a severely weakened immune system must remain in complete isolation until this pandemic passes. How does his mother keep him happy after 4 weeks in one room, with no end in sight?
• Both parents of a cancer patient lost their jobs due to the health crisis. They can barely pay for their basic food needs. How do they cover the astronomical medical expenses that pile up daily?

Chai Lifeline staff and volunteers resolve these predicaments every day.

HELP IN THE HOSPITAL

Chai Lifeline case managers have conducted hundreds of virtual hospital visits over the past few weeks, to ensure that families in the hospital receive the emotional support and medical guidance they’ve come to rely on. Hundreds of portions of food are delivered to CHOP each week, and the kosher pantry at the hospital is fully stocked daily. Rides to and from the hospital are fully running as well, with dozens of rides taking place each week.

THE CRISIS HITS HOME

Dozens of shopping errands are done daily for families of immuno-compromised patients who can’t leave the house for fear of endangering their family member’s life. Hundreds of masks and protective gear were provided to these families, and thousands of portions of food have been delivered to their homes as well.

To help children whose parents are consumed by the demands of illness, hundreds of craft boxes were delivered to keep them occupied during the long days at home. These children also enjoyed hundreds of virtual entertainment phone calls by big sisters, big brothers and Camp Simcha counselors.

THE EYE OF THE STORM

Chai Lifeline case managers have devoted untold hours to helping families of COVID-19 patients navigate the intricacies of the ICU and empowering them to advocate for the patient. They hold their hand at every step of the way, providing them with emotional support and crucial advice as they struggle to help their hospitalized family members.

Project Chai staff are available 24 hours a day to provide emotional support to individuals who were directly impacted by COVID-19. At all hours of day and night, they field calls from families who are sadly facing the serious prognoses of loved ones who contracted the coronavirus. They provide each family with emotional support and guide them on how to speak to their children and siblings about the tragic developments. Over the past few weeks, several parents sadly received guidance on how to prepare their children to say goodbye to their parent in critical condition via video communication.

Staff also visited multiple families after they were informed of the passing of a parent, sitting with them for hours as they faced their sudden, painful loss. Chai Lifeline distributed protective gear to teachers who were needed on hand to support their young students who were struggling to process their tragic, new reality.

Project Chai staff led multiple conference calls for the parent bodies of several schools who sadly lost a member to the coronavirus, guiding them on how to help their children process the painful news. Calls for the classmates of newly orphaned girls were conducted as well, helping them process the devastating news together, under the guidance of trained social workers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The needs of Chai Lifeline families surged in this health crisis. As the caseload increases daily with new COVID-19 diagnoses, so do the costs.

CLICK HERE TO HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES TODAY

Captions for Pictures

1. For many families battling illness, leaving the house during this health crisis is not an option. Dozens of volunteers went on hundreds of shopping trips for these families, to ensure that they have all they need for yom tov.
2. Loading boxes of Pesach food and essentials for families at CHOP, with safety measures in place to ensure the health of all.
3. Seder packages filled with kaarahs, hagadahs, beautiful paper goods and other essentials for families in the hospital
4. Food for yom tov for families overwhelmed by illness
5. Safety measures were taken throughout the packing to ensure the health of all families that received food for yom tov.
6. Craft boxes for families battling illness in quarantine
7. Craft boxes for families battling illness in quarantine
8. CHOP Kosher Pantry fully stocked daily
9. Financial assistance by the Evan Levy Z”L Fund was provided to over 100 families

[Press Release]