Liliya Bromberg
rides in
Cinderella's
carriage.
•
" 4
111i1111111111
Friendship Circle Director Bessie
Shemtov and Liliya during her special
day.
Community rallies to support young woman facing daunting health challenges.
Ronelle Grier
Contributing Writer
W
hen health problems prevent-
ed Liliya Bromberg, a 22-year-
old woman with cerebral palsy
and a rare form of cancer, from taking a
long-awaited trip to Florida's Walt Disney
World, the dedicated staff and volunteers
from Friendship Circle of Michigan did
the next best thing: they brought Disney
World to her.
The all-expenses paid trip was to be a
gift from a Friendship Circle supporter.
When Bromberg was unable to travel, the
donor, who asked to remain anonymous,
offered to sponsor a special Disney day on
Wednesday, May 29, on the grounds of the
Jewish Community Center in Oak Park.
Bromberg was awakened that morn-
ing in her Oak Park apartment by a visit
from Cinderella, punctuated with a special
wake-up song. The surprises continued
throughout the day; including a horse
and carriage ride, musical concerts, a
magic act, a skateboard and bike show,
and an acrobatic performance. One of
the highlights was a personalized Skype
performance by one of Liliya's favorite
musical groups, the Yeshiva Boys Choir of
New York, arranged by the Chai Lifeline
organization.
Bromberg was surrounded from morn-
12
June 27 • 2013
ing until night by numerous visitors and
supporters who came to share the mer-
riment, including a friend who travelled
from New York to take part in the festivi-
ties. The day concluded with a barbecue in
Rothstein Park behind the JCC.
"Liliya has this magnetism about her:'
said Bassie Shemtov, director of Friendship
Circle of Michigan. "Whether people know
her personally or not, they were all eager
to help in some capacity. I think this really
showcases what a real community is all
about:'
Bromberg, whose arms and legs are
paralyzed as the result of quadriplegic
cerebral palsy, has been involved with
Friendship Circle since she was 7 years
old. Her sparkling personality, bright sig-
nature smile and eternal optimism have
served as an inspiration for the many
people whose lives she has touched over
the past 15 years.
Last year, she was diagnosed with an
uncommon type of cancer that destroys
major organs, but she refuses to let her
disabilities dampen her irrepressible spirit.
Despite the restrictions imposed by her
wheelchair and her illness, she is always
ready to spend time with friends or attend
the next community event.
A few weeks after the Disney day, another
attempt was made to take Bromberg
to Disney World, funded by the same
Friendship Circle donor. Bromberg was
going to be accompanied by her parents,
Ilya and Tonya Bromberg of Oak Park,
Shoshana Ungar, a nurse practitioner and
close family friend, and Raizel Seliger, for-
mer Friendship Circle staff member, and
her new husband, Tzvi. The day before the
group was scheduled to leave, Bromberg's
doctor decided the trip was too risky. Those
who had planned to accompany Bromberg
were as disappointed for her as she was.
"To know Liliya is to love her;' said
Ungar, who first met Bromberg while
working at Camp Simcha, a special needs
camp sponsored by Chai Lifeline, in
upstate New York.
"She's only 22, but she sees things like
someone who has lived a much longer life.
You get love and you get perspective from
her:'
Raizel Seliger became close with
Bromberg when she began volunteer-
ing for Friendship Circle in 2005, and
their relationship continued to grow after
Seliger became the volunteer coordinator
for the organization.
"Liliya is so happy and full of life:' said
Seliger. "Her face lights up with a glowing
smile when she sees a friend; she never
complains. Whenever I'm with her, we
have fun:'
In the midst of dealing with the daily
challenges brought on by her disability and
her illness, Bromberg found the time and
energy to write a book, We All Have Our
Challenges (2013, Detroit Sparks, LLC).
The title sums up her attitude toward life:
Everyone has problems, so dwell on the
positive and avoid the trap of self-pity.
The book is filled with quotes and bits of
wisdom from Bromberg, all conveying the
hope, gratitude, optimism and selflessness
that she exemplifies.
Local author and entrepreneur Ryan
Beale helped Bromberg put her thoughts
and ideas into the form of a book, which
was published by his new company,
Detroit Sparks.
Beale, who had just finished his own
first book, 40 Days off Facebook: A Pivotal
Journey (2013, Detroit Sparks, LLC), when
he began working with Bromberg, found
the experience enlightening and inspira-
tional.
"One of her quotes is 'We are all God's
messengers'," said Beale, who lives in
Huntington Woods. "I may have been a
messenger to her, but she was more of a
messenger to me:'
We All Have Our Challenges by Liliya
Bromberg with special help from Ryan
G. Beale is available on wwwamazon.
com and through the INGRAM Book
Company, www.ingramcontent.com, with
special discounts for educators and orga-
nizations.
❑