Help Yakir Make His Next Move

If you met Yakir, you wouldn't forget him. He's 9 years old, sharp as a tack, obsessed with chess and Pokémon, and has a smile that lights up every room he rolls into.  Yakir has Cerebral Palsy and Dystonia - a neurological condition that causes constant, involuntary muscle movements throughout his entire body. Every day for him is a physical battle that most of us could never fully understand. And yet, he plays. He laughs. He has friends. He competes. He shows up for life. Everything we have done over the years, every therapy, medication and intervention, has gotten Yakir to where he is today. And now, with the guidance of our doctors and our Rabbanim, we believe that our next step is a brain surgery called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).  DBS is a surgery in which electrodes are surgically implanted into his brain and connected to a small device placed near his chest, which will send carefully calibrated electrical signals to his brain with the goal of quieting the misfiring that drives his Dystonia.  The level of expertise and experience in pediatric DBS needed for Yakir does not exist in Israel, so the surgery is scheduled to be performed by Dr. Alon Mogilner and Dr. Michael Pourfar, two of the world's foremost pediatric DBS specialists — in New York.  We have completed every pre-surgical test, every assessment, every meeting required to get here (aside from an MRI needed in NYU) and have a date for the surgery. The only thing standing between Yakir and that operating table is funding. All donations go directly toward the surgery, the hospital stay, and related medical expenses. Not one dollar goes to flights, hotels, or anything of the sort. This is purely about getting Yakir the care he needs and you helping us get there. We are not promised an outcome. But we are a family that believes in doing our part, in taking the next right move, and trusting God with the rest. This is the scariest thing we have ever done. And will also hopefully turn out to be the most life changing.  Please help us get there. Donate what you can and if you can’t please share. Yakir is waiting to make his next move. Help us give it to him. Any funds raised above the amount needed will be donated to Just One Chesed to continue the important work they do, as a zechut for the refuah shleima of Yakir Shlomo ben Tanya Malka. בשם ה׳ נעשה ונצליח.