I Want to Help!

I get a lot of calls, texts, and emails asking if there’s anything we need. The short answer is, YES. So here’s a handy FAQ.

Can I cook for you?

You are so kind. Thank you so much. Our meals are being handled currently. If you want to be part of the meal rotation, you can talk to Shirlee Steiner, and you can email or text me if you need her contact information. Also, if you bring food, PLEASE DON’T BRING CAKE. We have A LOT of cake, and I wind up eating most of it, and really, that’s not helping anyone.

Can I pick up your kids from school/Gan?

Yes. Yes you can. Yoni takes the bus home, but if you want to take him to your house to play or out somewhere special, just let me know. If you ever want to pick up Amit from gan, just text me and the job is yours. It can be a one-time or a regular thing.

My daughters run their own social schedules, so you’ll have to be in touch with them directly if you want to pick them up from school. Let me know if you need their contact information.

Can I visit Adi in the hospital or at home?

Generally speaking, yes. YOU MUST BE HEALTHY. If you think you are sick, please don’t visit. The oncology ward at Schneider is on the 7th floor -- our room varies. Call or text to check if we’re home or at the hospital, and if Adi is up to receiving visitors.

Is there something specific I can do to help you?

Yes! Please make sure that you’re registered with Ezer Mitzion’s bone marrow registry. It’s super easy to do, and you could save someone’s life!

Also, in betwee his treatments, Adi gets a variety of blood products (platelets, plasma, etc.), and there is a severe shortage of platelets (generally speaking, unrelated to Adi). IF you want to save lives, please feel free to donate platelets to the blood bank at Beilinson Hospital (Gor-Sasha Building) -- and we’d be delighted if you note that the donation is for the benefit of Adi Perets (Oncology department, Schneider).Platelet donation takes about two hours and requires setting an appointment by phone at 03-9377023.

OK, but needles aren’t my thing. I was thinking more along the lines of helping you, personally.

Oh! Well, that’s sweet. Right now, I could really use some help with my other four kids -- the ones who DON’T have cancer, but DO need attention. Please feel free to invite one or both or my daughters out for coffee or a treat. They would be thrilled. Or, they will roll their eyes at you. One or the other. Who knows? Seriously, they love books, and are always happy to go to the bookstore. You can also take Yoni and Amit out to the park, the mall, the pizza place, or anywhere else. This works best if you also have boys their age, and it will be easiest if you take Amit directly from his gan. I’m happy to provide details if you need them.

Yeah, that’s nice, but what about you and Guy? What do you guys need?

Really, you’re too kind. We hope to get our garden planted before the rain starts. We should be ordering supplies in the next week. If you’d like to come do some manual labor, let me know.

Right. I don’t do manual labor.

That’s cool. You can still come over for a cup of coffee. Or you can show up with a healthy breakfast and eat it with me. I LOVE breakfast at any time of day, and I prefer to eat food that is good for me than to stuff myself with cake. I really like company, too.

Abbi, stop being difficult. I want to buy you a present.

Look, anything from the Apple Store is sure to be met with a smile. Barring that, here is a list of books in English that I haven’t read and would be happy to receive.

 

Everybody Has Everything by Katrina Onstad (Thank you, Rena!)

Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan by Francesca Gino

The Interestings: A Novel by Meg Wolitzer (Thank you, Deann!)

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom

Hi, there was a lot of text, so I skipped to the bottom, plus I don’t live in Israel. So, what can I do?

Just keep liking my posts on Facebook. Tell people to read my blog and comment on it. It makes me feel loved, because I crave attention. Retweet me, as if my tweets are SO COMPELLING that you MUST retweet them. This feeds my need for constant attention, which really ultimately makes the world a better place.