A "Hug" Of Thanks From Disabled War Hero

Yitzhak is 96 years old and lives in Ukraine. A decorated war hero, he proudly wears his medals and boasts to his beloved Hesed homecare worker about his wartime heroics.

"During World War II, I was a tank squad commander. When my squad broke the defense line of the Fascists I was shot in the right arm. With one arm incapacitated I went back into combat and fought to save Simferopol, until I was again shot in my right hand. Now, when I look back, I am glad I insisted that the doctors did not amputate my arm. If they had, I would not be able to hug my homecare worker!" he exclaims, demonstrating his ability.

Yitzhak was happily married in his youth, but his wife passed away many years ago. The pain of her absence was recently made even more acute when the land where she is buried, a 200-year old Jewish cemetery, was sold, and a gas station began to be built on the property. "I am worried about her," he says sadly.

In 1985, Yitzhak received a fifth-floor, two-room apartment from the Soviet government in return for his heroism in the defense of the Crimea during his service in the army. He lives there alone. Though extremely fortunate not to have to pay rent, he has not left his apartment in many years because he is unable to walk down the broken concrete steps.

"My arm hurts in the winter because my apartment is very cold. When the central heating system was installed, it was the best money could buy. Now it barely works. The colder my room is, the more my arm hurts. So Hesed lent me an electric heater. The electric bill is high though and I am frightened my electricity will be turned off. I try to conserve electricity and use the heater as little as possible."

Yitzkak has prostrate cancer, cataracts and high blood pressure. His medicines cost $9 a month, half his monthly pension. The provision of meals-on-wheels and medicines provided by the Hesed eliminates Yitzkak's having to choose between these essentials.

"I am so grateful for my Hesed medicine. The local doctor writes out the prescriptions and my homecare worker goes to the Hesed and fills the prescriptions for me."

Most of all, Yitzhak is thankful for his homecare worker. "If I had a wife like my homecare worker today I would live to be one-hundred and twenty years old."