Based on the vision of Irving and the late Helen Schneider, major contributors to the medical center, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel epitomizes the underlying philosophy envisioned by its founders. Open to every child in Israel and the Middle East irrespective of religion, race or nationality, Schneider Children's serves as a bridge to peace in the region.

Reaching Out 

An Island of Hope in a Sea of Conflict

Some 30% of Schneider Children's patients come from the Arab sectors of Israel or from neighboring countries in the Middle East. Even in times of terror such as has befallen the country since September 2000, Schneider Children’s welcomes Palestinian Arab children in need in the realization of peace, co-existence and mutual respect.

• At the peak of a wave of Arab violence, a three-week-old Palestinian baby, Mustapha Zaid from Kalkiliya near Kfar Saba, suffering from severe respiratory distress was brought in a critical condition to Schneider Children's Emergency Room. This was accomplished with the cooperation of the Israeli security forces, which facilitated the family's immediate entry into Israel. A CT scan showed the infant had a double oesophagus, a rare congenital defect. Senior surgeons operated immediately to alleviate the pressure, after which the baby was able to breathe for the first time without the assistance of a mechanical ventilator.
  
  
• Two liver transplantation operations were needed to save the life of Amjed Omar, a 9 year-old Israeli Arab child, who suffered from a chronic liver disease. When his liver and kidneys stopped functioning, he was hospitalized in a critical condition at Schneider Children's Intensive Care Unit. In a 12-hour operation, surgeons transplanted a healthy liver lobe, but the organ was rejected. When Tomer Driham, 18, was killed in a tragic traffic accident a few days later, surgeons transplanted his liver lobe into Amjed's body, this time with complete success. The happy father, Jalal, said emotionally: "I thank the medical team at Schneider Children's which saved my son's life, and in particular, I thank the family, which donated the organ, for the life-saving act they made for my son."

There are some acts of humanitarianism and bravery that simply surpass description and defy belief. Such was the courageous decision of the Jesner family, whose 19 year-old son, Yoni, was fatally wounded in a bus terrorist suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. In the darkest hour of their despair, the family agreed to donate Yoni's organs to help save other lives. One of the recipients was a 7 year-old Palestinian girl, Yasmin Abu-Ramillah from East Jerusalem, who underwent a life-saving kidney transplant at Schneider Children's. The act symbolized the sanctity of life even in death.

Medicine Without Borders

Schneider Children's unpublicized program to conduct cardiac catheterizations on critically ill Palestinian children from Gaza and the West Bank is the result of collaboration between the medical center, a local public association called Opsimist and physicians in Gaza. Many Arab youngsters have undergone life-saving treatment at the medical center in spite of political divides. Since Schneider Children's establishment in 1991, children from both the Palestinian Authority and neighboring countries - Jordan in particular - have been frequently referred to the medical center for specialized treatment.

Equal Treatment

Acknowledging that all children are equal, Schneider Children's has evolved a policy of multidisciplinary treatment alongside integrated supportive care programs, which are geared to the specific requirements of the Arab youngster and his family. Schneider Children's Arabic speaking professionals contribute towards improved understanding and better communication. These include physicians, psychologists, educators, nurses and social workers, who advance equality in the areas of human and civil rights. They are especially qualified to provide emotional support and direction.

Similarly, there is no distinction in children's wards based on nationality or language. Palestinian or Israeli Arab children are hospitalized alongside their Jewish peers, and families intermingle daily helping to break down barriers. The only concern of the medical center is that each child and his family receive the finest treatment available.

Cross Transplant

National differences stop when it comes to health. Jewish Ron Azari, 11, suffered from diseased kidneys and was in urgent need of a transplant, but the blood type of his parents did not match. Ilia Halon, an Israeli Arab, also needed a transplant but no-one in his family was suitable to donate a kidney. So, doctors decided to conduct a "kidney cross" between the two families whereby Ilia’s wife Lena donated a kidney to Ron, while his father, Yigal, donated a kidney to Ilia. Surgeons operated on Ron at Schneider Children's, while Ilia underwent his transplant at another hospital. Two cross match transplants have been previously conducted in Israel, but this was the first carried out on a child.