It’s only the middle of the year but it’s time to update you on our dear daughter Neshama. Neshma is 9 and old readers know from last year’s drama both with her burn (a pot of boiling french fry oil spilled on her chest.) with her struggles in school.
Thank G-d she is doing amazing. Happy, reading, discovering. We found out that she needs glasses are looking into Irlen lenses for her. She is working hard and so proud of herself. Now, we’ve been informed by the school, we need to decide if we’ll be sending her next year.
On one hand, how can we not? This is what she needs. On the other hand, how can we, it’s so much money!
Seeing how far she’s come, from absolute misery to absolute light is encouraging us to give this a try. And seeing how many people care is giving us courage to put this fundraiser out there.
Watch this video to find out about her school.
Below is the text from the fundraiser we are making for her. Above is a video of her reading. She says to tell you that it’s cheating a little because she’s so familiar with it. On Friday nights we read this prayer together, taking turns with each paragraph. Still… she does a great job.
I hope you can help. We definitely need a miracle.
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If you want you can skip the text below and just click here to see the real thing:
Last year you changed our lives. When we decided to do a fundraiser for Neshamaâs schooling we were at our witâs end. We had watched her go from a bright and happy child to a clinically depressed one due to her learning disabilities and we were desperate for an intervention.
We took a risk. And the support that we received makes me cry as I write this. How are people so amazing?!
Bezalel and I would sit for nights after, looking at the names of the people who donated. âWow, I didnât know they cared.â And âWho are those people, can you believe they gave to us? â We were overwhelmed.
Neshama knows it. She says to people all the time. âI have Dyslexia, I go to Jemicy, it took tons of people got together to help me get there.â In the mornings when itâs hard for her to get up, I remind her how lucky she is and how we must use every day there. She hasnât skipped a day.
Thank G-d, this year has exceeded our expectations. Neshama is learning how to read! Sheâs 9 now and her writing is improving too. Jemicy seems to be tailor made for her giving her the confidence to bounce back into the child that she was meant to be. She feels successful in school for the first time in her life.
In Hebrew thereâs a term for gratitude, Dayenu; it would have been enough. Which means, weâre so grateful that even if we only had this one kindness and not a single one more, it would have been enough.
Even if she only had this one transformative year we would be filled to the brim with the miracle of it all.
The only problem is that for her, itâs not Dayenu. Itâs not enough. Not really. She is still two or three grades behind. If this year is her last year at Jemicy, there is no other school for her. This will be it.
What will be with her? Weâre at a crossroads. We are looking to the future with profound uncertainty. What will become of her future? Will she go back into depression? Her old school is not an option. Will she be at home all year? I donât know.
Jemicy tuition is just over 32,000 with $3,000 due immediately and the remaining amount needs to be made in two payment byDecember 2015.
Under normal circumstances, this would be prohibitive. Now that weâve lost our business, itâs not even a topic. If we arenât able to give a significant amount at the beginning we have no guarantees that weâll be able to come up with the rest.
The number is enormous but is matched by the level of intensity and attention to each child.
Although some kids attend Jemicy for many years, many kids get the skills they need and are able to mainstream back into other schools. This is our hope for her; That we get through this year and maybe the next and set her on the road for a successful life.
Every child deserves to succeed. Since our last fundraiser we have gone out of our way to support and help others with the same issue. We have spoken with parents and helped them set up fundraisers and advocated whenever we can.
But this one is ours. Sheâs looking to us to make it all okay.
Can you help us send Neshama to school next year?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Bezalel and Rivka Malka and Neshama
PS. We would love to send you a copy of this prayer if you would like. It is said, that the greatest way to achieve miracles is through gratitude ( vs complaining about what we don’t have.) And we have seen this to be true again and again.
After you donate, just put your address in the comments area or send us an email at itsrivkamalka@gmail.com and Neshama will use her spring break this week to send one to you!
