Special Appeal

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An Urgent Appeal from Benny Tsedaka on Behalf of Yossi Sirrawi

My Dear Friend,

yossi sirrawiThis is an urgent personal request to you, all my readers, and to anyone you feel could help.

We are raising funds on behalf of a young man in the  Israelite Samaritan community in Holon, Israel.

Joseph (Yossi) Sirrawi, aged 37, was perfectly healthy and going about his normal life, when out of the blue about seven months ago a routine blood test showed that Yossi’s kidneys were in danger of imminent failure. Yossi’s mother, herself undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, his two sisters and other family members were found not to be suitable donors.

Following the kidney failure, the levels of toxins in Yossi’s blood have become dangerously high. He had to quit his job as an underwriter for a leading insurance company. He undergoes dialysis treatment three times a week.

Due to the rarity of his blood type the waiting list for appropriate donors in Israel is very long, from 5 to 8 years or more. In the past month his condition has worsened – doctors say that his body is no longer responding so well to dialysis. His only option is to seek a transplant abroad immediately, a very expensive procedure.

It could happen to any of us. His condition is deteriorating daily. Yossi needs a kidney transplant to save his life. The cost of the operation is £150 000
(€172 000, NIS 680 000 or $193 000). So far the fundraisers have collected a tenth of this amount.

Yossi’s father, although of pensionable age, continues to work as a security guard, doing his best to support the family. Our small community has donated as much as we can, but we number fewer than 900 souls, and we cannot reach the figure required without your help. We appeal to you to help us raise this sum – every contribution,  large and small, will help us reach the target. Let’s make a new dawn for Yossi, his family and our unique community.

Please donate to save Yossi’s life in the hope that he will soon establish a family among the people of Israel and his Israelite-Samaritan community, and please spread the word to anyone who might be able to help.

Thank you.

Your friend,
Benyamim Tsedaka

Update, September 2018

Readers may remember the appeal For Yossi Sirrawi on this website (above) and elsewhere, back in May 2017.

We are very pleased to be able to announce that Yossi is looking and feeling well now, having undergone a kidney transplant operation in Thailand 6 months ago.

The operation cost in the region of $200 000.

On behalf of Yossi and the Israelite Samaritan community we would like to thank the donor of the kidney, all those who generously donated funds to the appeal, and all those who sent their good wishes to Yossi and to the appeal – thank you for your generosity.

 

Follow Benyamim Tsedaka:

Historian, Author, Choir Director

Benny is an Elder of the Israelite Samaritan community, historian, author, lecturer, newspaper co-founder and Director of The Israelite Samaritan Choir.

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