On the individual level, Shalva has recently provided early intervention services through the Me and My Mommy Program to two children from overseas. The parents of a baby from Mexico, came for Sukkot for a day of instruction and treatment, and decided to extend their stay in Israel for several months so that they might continue their treatments at Shalva, taking the place of a child who will be away for a period of convalescence from surgery.
Once again, Israel, and Shalva in particular, has shown its heart, treating those in need, even from neighboring enemy countries. A young child from Iraq, which provides no services at all for people with disabilities, came to Israel with his aunt for life-saving heart surgery. While still in Israel, the aunt brought the child for a day to Shalva, to perhaps learn a few skills and purchase some specialized equipment not available in Iraq. They were so excited about the help they could potentially receive from Me and My Mommy, that they petitioned the Ministry of the Interior, and received permission to extend their stay in Israel for an additional month, so they might continue the therapy at Shalva.
On a professional level, educators and therapeutic staff from all over the world come to see and learn first-hand what Shalva has created. As a result of a recently signed agreement between Shalva and the Russian Jewish Congress, emissaries from Russia and other FSU countries are now coming to Shalva, to learn skills that they can then transfer to their native countries.
Shalva, like Israel, has become a light unto the nations, with its impact touching lives all over the world.
