Please Pray for: David Yosef ben Faigeh Perel

It is amazing how we put ourselves at the center of the world, even though we do not always belong there.

When I learned of the terrible accident, all I could think was: I just saw his mother last night at our daughter's Bat Mitzvah celebration. 

My friend, who suffers her own health issues, joined us in our simcha, beautiful and laughing, as always.  That is what I love most about her.  She and I spend most of our time together laughing at life's ironies. 

She makes me laugh.  She tells it like it is, doesn't whitewash the tough stuff, and won't let anyone around her wallow in self pity.  When I feel most down, I call her, and she whips me into shape.  She  is the strongest woman I know.

And now this.

This thing that, three weeks later, is still too horrible for words.

There is nothing to joke about, nothing to laugh about.

We could laugh at ourselves. 

This is not about us.

It is about our kids.  It is about her kid, her youngest son.

My friend's youngest 16 year old son is one of those "really good kids,"  the kind of kid who "makes his momma proud."

He is a strong, healthy, capable, independent teenager.  He could do anything he wants.  Yet he chooses to spend his free time saving other people's lives.  He is a volunteer fire-fighter.

At least, he was all these things... until three weeks ago.

Three weeks ago, he was driving in a car with some other fire-fighter volunteers; he was sitting in the passenger seat.  A car pulled out in front of theirs, making a dangerous, and illegal, turn.  The driver of his car, pulled to the side, trying to avoid a collision, but the other car still hit their car, knocking the passenger side into a steel lightpost.  The passenger seat crumpled.  (you can view pictures here.  please note that the accompanying article contains several factual errors)

The only person critically wounded was David.  His friends, all fire fighters, immediately went to work, trying to save his life.

The first miracle God did was to help David survive the night, despite his very serious injuries.

Now we need some more miracles.

David is in a coma.  He is, thank God, breathing on his own.  Nevertheless, the trauma to his brain is very serious.

He will need all of his strength, and all the strength from our prayers, to come out of this.

Please daven for the refuah shlaymah of David Yosef ben Faigeh Perel


(read about David's strength and determination in this article from March, about David's bike ride up the Hermon)



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA