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. ❑