Hayim Association

The Hayim Association was founded by parents of children suffering from cancer and has been active since 1984. This voluntary organization is active in all the Oncology departments throughout Israel with the goal of assisting and reducing the suffering of the children and their families, and to improve the quality of the health care.

The Hayim Association is involved in this ongoing struggle and in the raising of funds for the children. It is administrated by a voluntary steering committee. All members of the Association do their work on a totally voluntary basis without pay. The Association treats all the ill children without regard for religion, race or gender.

In the course of its 28 years of activity the Association has become the flagship for activities for children suffering from cancer, and was the pioneer in bringing about far-reaching changes in the ways of improving the quality of life of the suffering children.

Achievements

1. Assistance in establishing a night care department for children with cancer, the first of its type in Israel, at the former Beilinson Hospital (currently, the Rabin Center).
2. Assistance in setting up a bone marrow transplant department for children in Schneider Hospital, also a precedent in Israel, where previously most bone marrow operations were performed abroad.
3. Standardization of medical and psychosocial care among the various centers in Israel, with each center affording the same quality care, regardless of location.
4. Improvement of child welfare and hospitalization conditions in the various centers in Israel.

The association operates in all the medical centers nationwide, and is part of the oncology network in the departments. It is distinguished by its activity to identify actual needs at the individual and collective level and for matching projects that provide a satisfactory answer to the needs of children and their supporting surroundings. The association is a member of the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organization (ICCCPO). As its sole representative in Israel, it maintains close relations with the organization and benefits from its experience and knowledge, exploiting it to promote the quality of life of children and standardize their treatment facilities in the various centers in the country.

The association has a board of trustees composed of leaders of Israel’s economy who assist and support it. All the association’s financial sources come from donations from within Israel and from Jewish communities worldwide.

In recognition of its activity, the Hayim Association was awarded the 2002 Alon Prize for its “pioneering example” and for its contribution to society in Israel. The association bears the Quality Stamp of the Association and Non-Profit Organization sector, and a certificate of Proper Management from the Registrar of Fellowship Societies. Hayim Association is recognized for tax purposes, registered fellowship society no. 580073955.

Activities

Promoting the quality of medical care and service

• Supporting the Israel Medical Association for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology in gathering and coordinating medical information on child cancer in Israel.
• Purchasing some of the most sophisticated equipment in the world for improving diagnosis and treatment.
• Funding personnel authorizations in the medical field: social workers, physicians, nurses, psychologists, laboratory and paramedical personnel.
• Funding studies and development of sophisticated methods for improving diagnoses and directing optimal care for children.
• Improving the professional standard of medical personnel by funding participation in local and international conventions and seminars.
• Setting up and funding professional psychosocial forums for standardized care given to children nationwide (nurses’ forum, social workers’ forum).

Fostering and improving the children’s welfare and supporting surroundings

• A fund for supporting families with financial problems due to their child’s disease.
• Funding transport services for treatments in hospitals.
• Caregiver service to assist families needing further help and support in hospitals or at home for sick children and/or their siblings.
• Funding support groups to provide tools for better coping with the disease.
• Increasing and complementing study material with private teachers for each subject.
• Arranging and executing trips and fun days for children and their families in Israel.
• Traditional Bar and Bat Mitzvah trips in Euro Disney France.
• Celebrations of birthdays, Jewish festivals, parties and special events.
• Weekly flights of sick children and their families across the country.
• Funding of holidays for sick children and their families.
• Assistance in running kindergarten classes and play corners in hospitals.
• Individual tuition and accompaniment of children during and after treatment.
• Grants and scholarships for children and teenagers during their rehabilitation.
• Complementary social services for children during recovery and rehabilitation.

The association’s activity is conducted in accordance with recommendations of the professional staff and hospitals, involving thorough examination of needs and priorities.