metro
Village Of Friends from page 20
"His eyes look normal, but the optimistic result is for
him to have low vision rather than total blindness," said
Brandvain, who has received a crash course in medi-
cal terminology. Patients with low vision have impaired
sight that cannot be corrected by glasses, surgery or
medication, with degrees of impairment varying.
In late October, Yanay and his parents returned
home, with the baby wearing newly prescribed glasses
"The pediatric optometrist who did the evaluation, Dr.
Mary Ference, was very upbeat and pretty certain that
he can see something out of each eye Brandvain said.
"He seems to respond to light and high-contrast items.
Paula Korelitz [outreach director at the Children's Low
Vision Resource Center of the Vision Research ROPARD
Foundation in Royal Oak] showed Vered and Ido how to
work with Yanay to stimulate and maximize whatever
potential he may have!"
B"H
Vered said, "We work with him with a flashlight and
with colors. And he will need eye drops for the next
year:"
"There is a lot of hope that his vision will improve
said Brandvain, who accompanied the Porats to Yanay's
appointments and surgeries. "The anatomy is developing
and things continue to take place for a long time after
the surgery.
"We met a family in the recovery room from
Birmingham, Ala., whose 4-year-old daughter had a
diagnosis similar to Yanay's. Doctors at home told them
she was going to be completely blind. Four years later,
she has exceeded all expectations:"
Medical treatment for Yanay has required advance
payment. "Ido and Vered are both CPAs and had saved
up money for a down payment on a house Brandvain
said. "The money has gone toward medical treatment.
There is a chance some of the $18,000 cost per eye will
be reimbursed by Israeli insurance" In addition, they
will have the expense of follow-up visits that will take
place in Rome at Trese's satellite clinic.
The Brandvains, who first met in Israel, where Avi was
born, plan to visit the Porats who live in Givatayim.
"We will go before, but absolutely we will be there for
Yanay's bar mitzvah in 2026:' Beth said. The Robinsons
will visit over Thanksgiving.
"We look forward to seeing all of them:' Ido said.
"Beth is like an angel to us. She is like our mother,
Yanay's grandmother, our teacher. It is hard to believe
we didn't always know her and Avi. We can't thank them
enough. They made us feel like we were at home here.
We came here not knowing anyone, but we didn't feel
alone for a minute. The people in this community are
like our family:"
❑
Lighting Up
Downtown
TUGMAN BAIS CHABAD TORAH CENTER AND ORCHARD MALL PRESENT:
Third annual "Menorah in the D" lighting
ceremony coming Dec. 4.
AT ORCHARD MALL
Last year's
Menorah i
the D
Northeast Corner of Orchard Lake and Maple
WWW.CHANUKAHWONDERLANDMI.COM
FREE ADMISSION
FOUR MAGICAL DAYS
SUNDAY - WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 1 - 4, 2013
D
Fry - a -Latka Station
Olive Press Workshop
Decorate an Edible Dreidel
Dreidel Bounce House
Layer a Wax Candle in a Jar
Weave a Chanukah Handbag
Vintage Photo Booth
Come Once, Come Again
and Come Back for More!
SAV•ON
DRUGS
JN
Chanukah Tot Land
Giant Dreidel Mascot
Email rabbishneur©baischabad.com
or visit www.chanukahwonderlandmi.com
CMS.
HIGHLIGHT EVENT!
Food
Live Music
Tanito#
Klezmer
Band
5:30,ani
Dance
Performance
DECEMBER 2
22
November 21 • 2013
ates and details have been
announced for the third annual
Menorah in the D Chanukah cel-
ebration, a two-pronged event surround-
ing the installation and lighting of a public
24-foot-tall menorah at Campus Martius
in Detroit.
Menorah in the D was developed
and is hosted annually by The Shul of
West Bloomfield, a Chabad Lubavitch
Community Center, in partnership with
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's NEXTGen Detroit division, with
generous support from Quicken Loans and
various other sponsors.
On Nov. 26, the one-of-a-kind, larger-
than-life, steel-and-glass menorah,
designed by local artists the Nordin broth-
ers of the Detroit Design Center, will be
erected.
Then, on Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m., the public
is invited to enjoy the official menorah
lighting ceremony and free community
Chanukah party, which last year drew
more than 1,500 participants. In addition
to the traditional lighting of the menorah,
attendees will enjoy light refreshments and
a live performance by the 8th Day Band.
Chabad-organized public menorah
lightings are now seen annually in hun-
dreds of locations worldwide, from the
White House to the Eiffel Tower. The
celebration of Chanukah, which translates
to "rededication:' and the lighting of a
public menorah are particularly relevant to
Detroit and its area residents during dif-
ficult times.
"The menorah being placed in
Downtown Detroit is a reminder to us all
that we should continually work to illumi-
nate the world around us:' Rabbi Kasriel
Shemtov said. "It's an honor to be able to
share the warmth and joy of Chanukah
with all:'
For more information on Menorah in
the D, visit www.menorahinthed.com.
❑