Dear Donator,

About 10% of the births in Israel (totaling in 15,000 births per year) are premature. About 50% of infant deaths in Israel are due to prematurity (as a comparison, sudden infant death syndrome is accounted "only" for 5% of infant deaths).

LAHAV Society – For the Premature Infants in Israel (a registered society) was founded as a result of the needs of both premature infants and their parents, in order to serve as the voice of those whose voice is unheard.

The society is registered as a non-profit organization with an approved administration from the Israeli Justice Ministry.

A side of our successes (extension of the paid maternity leave allowed for parents to premature infants, founding a Mothers' Milk Bank in Israel, and more), we are facing difficult and vital challenges. We come to fight for the smallest members of our society and to compare (in terms of manpower and equipment) the conditions for care of premature infants in Israel to those in other western countries, in order to improve the quality of care for premature infants, to prevent unnecessary damages and to relieve some of the pressure on the system that supports them in the future.

We act for promoting the following targets:

We succeeded in lengthening the mother's relief of premature babies, we keep close watch on the anti RSV vaccinations and help changing the guidelines for the best, we have upgraded several parents' room in NICUs (link for a presentation at the end of the letter). We have printed Two help guides for the parent of premature baby and we deliver them across the country without charging anybody.

We play an active role in the committees of the Ministry of Health in establishing the guidelines for the Mothers' Milk Bank.

We have donated equipment for the different NICU's at the sum for more then 10,000 US$, sometimes cooperating with the hospital management for participation in the donation.

We have organized the 1st "Premature infant day" in Israel with more then 1000 Participants.

We are promoting the awareness of the hazards of premature labor and the promotion of strategies to prevent it.

We are running a Web site and a support forum, which are acting as information centers and providing news and support to parents.

In addition, we are striving for raising the awareness of the problems of prematurity in the national level.

 A premature infant is not just a small baby; prematurity is a condition that might leave its mark forever.  

For Our Continual work we ask you to help us in one or more from the followings:

1.    Upgrade 5 more Parent's rooms in the NICU. Each parent room is Evaluated in around 5000 $US and the sum for this issue is 25000 $US.

2. We help the fight against the Infections in the NICU by buying Laminar Flows. Each Laminar is Evaluated at 7000 US$ and we have 3 requests. The Sum for this issue is 21,000 US$.

3. We need to print again The 1st Guide for the parents. The Sum for this issue is 10,000 US$.

4. There is a need for operating "hot line" for the parents to call and receive all the information they need. The sum for this issue is 3500 US$.

5. We need to provide covers for the Incibators. The sum for this issue is not yeat determined but probably around 10,000US$.

  Please remember that no Selery is being paid by the Organization and that every cent you give goes directly to the NICU's and the premature Babies.

  We urge and plead you to help us, donate us, and join us in the struggle for the smallest members of our society. Every Donation Helps!

 Relevant Links:  

Presentation for the Parents Room:http://pagim.net/images/documents/presentations/sikum_hadrei_horim.pps Previous Donators: Abbot - http://www.abbott.com/ 

Nir Lat - http://www.nirlat.com

Bepex - http://www.bepex.co.il/index.php?page_id=1

Materna - http://www.materna.co.il/HTMLs/Home.aspx 

Respected Organization pointing to Lahav: 

Social security of Israel - http://www.btl.gov.il/NR/exeres/4829F92F-9F4E-473C-B3F0-08926752079B.htm?&sFather=y 

YNET- the bigest news portal of Israel - http://www.ynet.co.il/home/0,7340,L-3684-organizationid-3451,00.html 

The non-profit Organization Society of Israel - http://directory.beesites.co.il/amutot/amuta40937.asp 

The Israeli Center for Self Help - http://www.selfhelp.org.il/detail-org.php?id=208&idtop=24 

The Place for Special Need Children- http://makom-m.cet.ac.il/pages/item.asp?s=3&id=47&defid=-1&page=5&item=2929 

Helping the citizen - http://work-gsob.haifa.ac.il/shil2/jsp/general/Article.jsp?aid=293&cid=14 

News Article Envolving Lahav Organization (By name or By did): 

YNET- Regarding the RSV - http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3310584,00.html 

Doctors - lengthening the mother's relief- http://www.doctors.co.il/xID-2879,xCT-229,m-Doctors,a-Article.html 

Haayal Hakore – Mother's Milk Bank - http://www.haayal.co.il/story?id=2363&NewOnly=2&LastView=2006-06-06%2009:44:39 

Haaretz- RSV - http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=678564&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0 

Haaretz- RSV(2) - http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=646032&contrassID=2&subContrassID=6&sbSubContrassID=0 

Haaretz – the Lack of Workers in the NICU - http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=678565&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0