A CHILD RESTORED TO LIFE

A thrilling and moving story of a baby girl struggling for her very life, trust in Alm-ghty G-d, and faith in the amazing answers of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, which strengthened the child’s parents during those difficult days. R’ Mendy Horvitz and his wife, Miriam, reveal for the first time the chaotic events surrounding their daughter’s illness and eventual recovery.

Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

The Chabad community of Tzfas recently breathed a sigh of relief. The entire community – men, women, and children in the local educational institutions and synagogues united for a period of two weeks in reciting T’hillim and making good resolutions on behalf of two-month old Chaya Bracha Chana Horvitz.

The child was suffering from a serious bronchial virus. When complications set in, she was hospitalized on Zos Chanukah in the intensive care unit of the Sieff Medical Center with her life in actual danger. Her condition fluctuated and at one point, her parents were even called to her hospital room as the doctors were desperately trying to save her.

In a most wondrous and miraculous fashion, the girl managed to overcome her severe illness and recovered completely as if nothing had happened. The doctors and hospital staff were positively amazed, admitting that this was nothing less than an extraordinary medical phenomenon.

The child was eventually released, and after a series of comprehensive tests and examinations, the diagnosis was confirmed: completely healthy in every respect.

In an interview with Beis Moshiach, the young parents, R’ Mendy Horvitz and his wife Miriam (nee Givoni), speak about the days of difficulty and crisis together with the uplifting and glorious moments that strengthened their faith and trust – thanks to the brachos of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach that accompanied them throughout that trying period.

“CALL AN AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY,” THE DOCTOR ORDERED

“Our daughter was born this year on Zayin Marcheshvan,” said Mrs. Horvitz as she began her story. “She is our second child after our first-born son. Naturally, there are a variety of ways to describe the joy and light she brought to our home. She was born totally healthy and developed normally for the first two months of her life.

“And then came Zos Chanukah. During the preceding days she had developed a chill, although nothing serious. She had a slight cough and runny nose, but it seemed to be something that would pass as quickly as it appeared. However, when I looked at her face on the morning of Zos Chanukah, my motherly instinct told me that something was wrong. She appeared very weak and lethargic, and she had no appetite. At this stage, while we didn’t realize that the situation was serious, we were responsible enough to make an appointment with the pediatrician at our local health clinic.

“When we arrived at the clinic, we first went into the nurses’ station for an initial appraisal of our daughter’s condition. When the nurse looked at her, her eyes opened wide. Without saying a word, she grabbed the baby out of my hands and burst into the pediatrician’s office. After a few seconds, she ran out and then returned to the doctor a few moments later with an oxygen balloon. At a certain point, we also came into the office, still not grasping the significance of the dramatic pressure-packed activities swirling around us. ‘Call an ambulance immediately,’ the doctor instructed the secretary, as we stood in stunned disbelief.

“We had not expected to face such drama and hysteria. We simply thought that the doctor would give us a prescription for antibiotics or ear drops and then send us home. Within a matter of minutes, the paramedics arrived at the clinic, placed the baby on a stretcher, and told us to join them as they took her to the hospital. Upon arrival at the emergency room, the doctors on call gave the same diagnosis as our pediatrician – a serious case of bronchitis resulting in a blockage of air into her lungs. With a child at such a young age, no unnecessary chances should be taken, and they immediately transferred her to the ICU.

“The doctor informed us that they would bring her to the regular children’s ward only when her condition improves. They hooked her up to an intravenous infusion and placed her on oxygen, while periodically applying anesthetics. I looked pitifully at my infant daughter for several long minutes before they asked me to leave the room. She clearly was having difficulty breathing on her own, as her tiny chest rose and fell slowly.

“As we were waiting outside the ICU, I called my mother to update her on the situation and asked her to write a letter to the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, in request of a blessing for our child. I was frightened by these developments, and I simply told my mother to ask for a bracha without looking to see what the Rebbe had written. I just wanted with all my heart to receive the Rebbe’s bracha.

“That evening, we left the hospital to be with our son and preserve our strength for the following day. My brother-in-law, R’ Refoel Avraham Dobkin, agreed to relieve us and take the night watch. My mother came to the hospital in the morning and we got ready to come there later. In the afternoon, as we made the final preparations before leaving the house, I got a phone call from my mother. She told me that the doctors had just come out and said that they were preparing to hook our child up to a respirator. They were asking the parents to come as quickly as possible and be at their daughter’s side.

“This news hit me like a twenty-pound sledgehammer. The heavy feeling in my heart nearly shattered me in those moments. Sadly, I had only recently lost my father a”h, and the doctors’ call for us to come quickly to our daughter’s bedside brought me back to those dark and somber days. I felt consumed by a sense of genuine fear for the fate of my daughter.”

THE REBBE’S ENCOURAGING BRACHOS

“We left the house as I was still in a state of deep anxiety. The first thing my husband and I did was to pledge a charitable contribution to each of the institutions where we worked. It is written that tz’daka saves from death, and this was the best segula that we could possibly implement at that moment. Naturally, we continued to say T’hillim in her merit. In the meantime, my husband called our neighbor, Rabbi Dovid Shaer, the mashpia at Yeshivas Chanoch Lenaar, and asked him to write a letter to the Rebbe on our behalf. While we were en route to the hospital, he sent us an SMS with the Rebbe’s reply, as it appears in Igros Kodesh, Vol. 21, pg. 170: With a blessing for success in his holy work and for proper health and a long and good life with all its meanings.

“This clear answer was very encouraging to us. Then, even before we entered the hospital gates, my brother-in-law, R’ Avremi Dobkin, also called us. He had already managed to return home, and when he heard about his niece’s deteriorating health situation, he quickly wrote a letter to the Rebbe and sent us the answer that he received in Vol. 18, pg. 286:

…And so is this case if he will look upon the aforementioned as a manner of burden and hard work. However, when he will see the matter in its true sense, that this is a joyful matter that can act for the good of many Jews, and on this it is also said, ‘It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work,’ then you can do this according to your ability, going slowly from level to level, from the easy to the less easy, in a way that he shouldn’t tire himself out. Naturally, the doctor treating him should not only agree to this, but also encourage and bolster him, and the work should also bring a strengthening of physical health in its simplest sense, in addition to the doctor’s other instructions.

“With these answers, we realized that the Rebbe was sending us a message of calm, asking that we let the doctors do their work while we continue our responsibilities on the spiritual front.

“When we arrived at the waiting room outside the intensive care unit, the doctors informed us that they were fighting to save her life… For these next two hours, doctors came in and out carrying numerous instruments. Their faces were clouded with concern, and no one stopped to notice or speak with us.

“These were extremely tense and frightful moments that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone to endure. Every doctor or nurse who came out of the room made our hearts jump. Out of a deep sense of fear and worry for receiving terrible news, I prayed that they wouldn’t come over to us and should continue on their way. During those moments, I imagined hearing the worst.

“The people who came to bolster our spirits during those difficult moments were Rabbi Shlomo Raskin, director of Beis Chana Tzfas, and Rebbetzin Malka Wilschansky, who had been at our family’s side ever since the passing of my father a”h. During those two hours, we tried to calm our nerves by sitting – not always without distraction – and learning from Shaar HaYichud V’HaEmuna in Tanya. In the meantime, messages were sent to all members of the Tzfas community to daven and recite T’hillim for our daughter’s recovery. Our hearts were deeply touched by everyone’s efforts, even those with whom we had no close contact.

“At a certain stage, one of the doctors came out, and my husband got up the courage to ask him what was happening. I remained in my place, not daring to come any closer.

“The doctor provided a full accounting of the situation, telling him that there had been a serious deterioration in her condition two hours earlier. Her respiratory system had collapsed and they had to help her breathe artificially through a machine. As soon as the breathing tubes were attached, this created air pressure on her lungs. Gaps were formed in the lungs themselves, filling the chest cavity with air. There was now a serious concern that the baby was about to suffer a cardiac arrest.

“For a period of two hours, our child’s life hung in the balance. The doctors worked feverishly to revive her, and on several occasions, she didn’t have a pulse. They almost gave up and stopped their resuscitative activities, when she again showed slight signs of life. This motivated the staff to continue their efforts until her pulse was brought back to normal. The air entering her chest cavity was let out through the tubes they had inserted.

“At a certain point, the head of the medical staff dealing with her case, Dr. Yuri Weiner, came out to us and said quite honestly that he had already accepted that she might not make it, and he considered it amazing that she was still alive. ‘You have a child with a strong will to survive that you don’t encounter every day,’ he said with undisguised excitement. ‘She’s fighting like a lioness for her life.’ The problem, he explained, was that despite her more stable condition, he couldn’t promise that the child would last through the night.

“Rabbi Raskin heard what the doctor said and then began to speak with him in his mother tongue, Russian. ‘A doctor is only given permission to heal, and not to predict what will be,’ he said. My mother asked him to be optimistic and hope for the best.

“After a few more hours, my husband and I returned home, and my brother-in-law again volunteered to spend the night near his niece’s bedside.

“Throughout that night, the situation was not good, as her condition remained unstable. The doctors inserted a tube to drain the fluid from her lungs, however, they were so weak that they couldn’t supply oxygen to the bloodstream. As a result, she needed constant supervision and medication. The next day, her condition seemed better, and with G-d’s help, she kept improving. The gaps in her lungs began to close on their own, the signs of life reappeared, and she became more active.”

THE HEALER OF ALL FLESH WHO PERFORMS WONDERS WILL GIVE THEM THE CORRECT IDEA

“The following day, before we returned to the hospital, I passed by my mother’s house and opened the volume of Igros Kodesh where I had placed a letter the day before. I was stunned. The answer appeared in Vol. 18, pg. 256:

After a long break, his letter from the 20th and the 28th of Adar Rishon was received, in which he writes the doctor’s opinion regarding [his] health.

And it’s slightly amazing what he wrote that the prostate operation is a serious matter, and he had even done a portion of it some years ago. Here, they do this and it is considered a normal operation, and while there are matters that require clarification according to Shulchan Aruch (as they cut the ducts in most cases), since he has already done a portion of it, there is surely no need to clarify this as well. Similarly, it’s a bit unclear what he wrote that it’s difficult to crush the [kidney] stone due to its size, as it would seem that there is no practical difference – as in any case, he should consult again with two specialists and act according to their joint opinion. May G-d Alm-ghty, who heals all flesh and performs wonders, give them the correct idea of which treatment to advise him and the treatment will succeed.

And as we are now in the month of Adar, which are days of good fortune and success for the entire Jewish People, it is my hope that although he doesn’t mention a word on this matter, he is involved in spreading the wellsprings and I want to hope that he is also increasing in this, according to the command to increase in matters of holiness.

[Regarding] the place of the medical treatment, he should consult with a ‘doctor acquaintance’ who knows details on places and the doctors offering treatment.

“I read the answer, and I was amazed by its clear and precise messages. I took the seifer with me and I decided to act according to the Rebbe’s advice.

“As soon as I arrived at the medical center, I told Dr. Yuri Weiner about the Rebbe’s answer and its content, and he was equally happy by the response. A very humble man, he referred me to the doctor in charge of the hospital’s ICU for infants – a prominent expert in pediatrics who agreed to evaluate our daughter’s medical history. After a lengthy and thorough review, he told us that in his opinion, the treatment given was essential and proper, and he wouldn’t have done anything differently.

“With regard to the Rebbe’s instructions to consult with a rofeh-yedid, we decided to use the pediatrician at our health clinic. She had been the first to recognize the seriousness of our daughter’s condition and agreed with the treatment provided by the staff at the Sieff Medical Center.

“By G-d’s Divine Kindnesses, the baby’s condition continued to improve with each day, and it could be said that she received her life anew. At the start of her rehabilitation, there was a concern that as a result of what she had gone through, she might have suffered some long-term damage. However, after a series of tests, it was determined that everything was functioning within normal parameters.

“She remained in the hospital for two weeks. When the apertures in her lungs closed, it was a sign that her condition had improved to the point that she would soon be back to normal.

“We received the release papers from the hospital and headed home happy and relieved. Who would have believed that we had come here just two weeks earlier with deep concern for our daughter’s survival? As the Rebbe had instructed at the conclusion of the letter to my mother, we increased our mivtzaim activities during those two weeks among the parents and visitors of the hospital patients, and we saw much success in our efforts. We were also there on the auspicious day of Hey Teves, and there were numerous mothers who bought s’farim on t’filla through us. Men put on t’fillin and we spoke with many other women about faith and trust in the Creator.”

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Mrs. Miriam Horvitz concluded her story with great emotion, as she gave thanks to Alm-ghty G-d for the miracle He did for her daughter.

“For me and for my husband, this was a tremendous lesson in faith and hiskashrus to the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. There were moments of anguish and despair that threatened to eat away at us. After the traumatic experience of my father’s recent illness and passing, thoughts of accepting her fate began to enter my troubled mind. Then, we received clear answers from the Rebbe that instilled me with great hope and emuna, and which proved to be the eventual reality.

“Fortunate are we that we are Chassidim, connected to the Tree of Life. We also wish to take this opportunity to thank those who offered their assistance and their prayers, and those who made good resolutions for our daughter’s health.”