“I wanted to live so badly. They didn’t know whether I would make it through the first night. Each day was a struggle to survive.”
Maytal Wax and her children.
In 1996 I was celebrating Purim with my brother at the The Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv. It was a time like now, with appalling attacks, and the national debate in the media was whether to go out and celebrate as usual or stay at home – we had decided to just go out for lunch …
At 3:55 p.m. a loud explosion pierced through the air. This terrorist attack changed the course of my life instantly. The blast killed my brother Asaf and left me with only one shattered leg and an entire body covered with burns.
When my father came to the hospital, I was so badly burned from the blast that he only recognized me by a tattoo on my back.
I was unconscious for twelve days and spent three months thereafter on a respirator. My will to live was stronger than anything else. I also had to be fitted with a prosthesis and re-learn to walk.
My husband and I had recently bought a walk-up apartment with a lovely garden. After this horrific incident we could not live there, as it was physically impossible for me to go up and down the stairs. Unfortunately, my marriage also suffered. What began as young innocent love turned into a relationship of caregiver and caretaker, and that was not healthy. I had gone from being independent to a state of helplessness.
The struggle to rehabilitate has been a long and painful process for me … Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv is my second home, which I visit daily. The warm brotherhood, which surrounds me, and the wonderful people that I meet there have opened up a new world where I finally feel equal.
Thanks to the vast variety of activities offered at The Centre I can participate in any field of interest despite the fact that I am confined to a wheelchair. I am an active member of “Hora Galgalim”, the folkdance wheelchair troupe of Beit Halochem. I thoroughly enjoy every moment of dancing.
When I paint and sculpt at Beit Halochem I am able to detach myself from my disability and become part of an artistic experience.
I exercise regularly in the well-equipped fitness room, guided by professional coaches. I also ride a specialized hand bicycle on a track at Beit Halochem. Every training session I am amazed to discover that my physical abilities are boundless. Beit Halochem contributes to my rehabilitation both physically and mentally.
I feel tremendously indebted to the people who have opened their arms and their hearts to embrace me at Beit Halochem. I know that without the generosity of donors throughout the world it would not be possible for me to enjoy such a special facility.
A significant part of my personal rehabilitation and my capability to lead a normal life is credited to Beit Halochem and its supporters.
Thank you,
Maytal