I Flew to Israel to Help. A Brain Tumor Almost Killed Me First

On July 2, 2024 I hopped on a plane to Israel with the Momentum Unlimited Mother to Mother Unity Mission. Our aim: to bear witness to the October 7th atrocities, volunteer, and share what we’d learned abroad with our respective local Jewish communities.

The photo of me in the ICU is my sole memento.

On our first evening in Tel Aviv, our group of Jewish mamas hunched over each other in Tel Aviv Park at dusk posing for a photo when my head began to pound. “Must be dehydrated from the heat,” I muttered to myself.

My Momentum group, on the day I decompensated. (I’m third from bottom left)

But before long, I was vomiting repeatedly. Elisheva and Gila, two doctors who were fellow Momentum Unlimited participants, triaged and rushed me to Tel Aviv Urgent Care.

My answers to the local medical team – “What is your age?” “11.” And “Where do you live?” “NYC (I live in Maine)” – clearly indicated that my mental status was altered. The Israeli triage team assumed I’d consumed large quantities of alcohol and attempted to revitalize me with a saline IV drip. Within a few hours, I was responsive to questioning and promptly discharged to my hotel.

The two doctors who escorted me to the ICU

Elisheva and Gila phoned me to ensure I remained stable. When after several attempts I failed to answer their calls, they urged security to unlock my door and rushed me back to Tel Aviv Urgent Care for a second evaluation.

The staff again insisted I was drunk and required IV fluids to recuperate from a non-existent late-night boozy binge. As they were hooking me up, a third Momentum volunteer, Donna, arrived on the scene. She reviewed my Unity Mission application and advocated on my behalf.

Finally, with the assistance of Donna’s supervisor, Urgent Care relented and ordered a CT. The scan revealed a 3.5 meningioma pressing against my frontal lobe and optic nerve. Edema surrounding the brain tumor meant I was in danger of seizing.

The medical team transferred me to the neurology ICU where I was monitored for several days. My husband flew into Israel to assist my transfer back to the United States. A full craniotomy back in the US resulted in the entire resection of the meningioma.

My Changed Life

Nearly two years following this major life event I am safely typing this essay from my home in Maine. The irony of this experience is not lost on me: the very people I journeyed to protect ultimately assisted in saving my life.

Local Israeli Jewish volunteers were instrumental in ensuring I received the medical care I needed while also challenging the system, insisting my diagnosis was mistaken. They researched my medical file, appealed to various health care providers to ensure my needs were met when I was unable to defend myself.

My husband Lawson and me

In Judaism, these actions reflect the values of tikkun olam, repairing the world, and tzedek, the pursuit of justice. These are values I hope to carry with me as I assist family members and friends on their own medical journeys in the years ahead. They are also values I hope to pursue when I return to Israel in October 2026 to bear witness to the atrocities of October 7 and volunteer with Momentum Unlimited Journey of Growth.

The Jewish concept of Kavanah refers to intention, to pray with both curiosity and with heart. Before my event in Israel, I rarely considered this to be a treasured value of mine. In fact, I was often quick to display emotion, skimming the page of a prayer book, competing with myself to accomplish more.

My children

During my time in Israel the women around me offered something different. Each volunteer was physically present, sitting beside me, offering moments of reflection, a silly story, loving guidance, and reassurance as I awaited my test results. Their presence sustained me.

After my tumor was removed, I began reflecting upon these moments as guiding principles for my life.

Life is fleeting. Living intentionally means appreciating the moments in between. To truly understand this concept, I’ve decided to implement weekly Shabbat dinners. This meaningful practice allows me to be mindful and connect with myself and with family.

Since surviving a brain tumor, I have gained greater clarity and focus than ever before. I’ve learned my purpose is assisting others in recognizing their potential, as a provider, as a wife, mother, as a Jewish woman, and as a community member.

Moving forward with intentionality has never been more important to me as it is now. To me, this is, at the core of incorporating key values and concepts of Judaism into my daily life.

I traveled to Israel intending to bear witness, to volunteer, and to help my people. Instead, my people helped save me.