34 | APRIL 27 • 2023 

I

f it takes a village to raise a child, 
then it can take what feels like a 
whole country to raise a child with 
special needs. It was with this thought 
that Bayla and Sruly Berman of Oak 
Park approached their son Dovid’s third 
birthday. 
Traditionally in some communities, 
a boy’s third birthday is celebrated with 
an upsherin and marked with his first 
haircut. The Bermans, filled with appre-
ciation for their family, their community 
and their son’s medical teams in more 
than three states, were not going to let 
this milestone pass without a splash — 
even if the birthday boy himself is cogni-
tively unaware of its significance. 
In 2019, Sruly and Bayla, parents of 
then 4-year-old Zevy, were thrilled to be 
expecting for the second time. It was at 
the 20-week scan that they first discov-
ered they might have a rocky road ahead 
of them. 
“The baby’s stomach was distended, 
meaning he wasn’t passing stool,
” said 
Bayla, who recalls how she immedi-
ately went straight into planner mode, 
researching every option, wanting to 
know every possible outcome. 
After an anxiety-ridden pregnancy, 
Dovid was born on March 10, 2020, 
which also happened to be Purim, right 
before the world turned upside down 
with COVID. Even during that tumul-
tuous time, the Bermans felt the hand of 
God with them. 
“I got laid off during COVID and 
Bayla’s [Partners in Torah] office went 
remote, so we were able to move to 
Denver for three months for the sur-
geries,
” said Sruly, who now works for 
Superior Kosher Meats in Southfield. 
“Purim is the holiday of hidden mira-
cles. Dovid is full of hidden miracles and 
that was definitely one of them for us.
”

MANY CHALLENGES
At birth, Dovid was diagnosed with an 
anorectal malformation, meaning he 
was born without an anus; his rectum 
connected to his bladder. Within 24 
hours, he had his first surgery and by the 
time he was 6 months old, he’
d had three 
surgeries. The most significant — a cus-

Family plans a celebration to 
remember for their special needs son.

 A Special 
 Upsherin

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTOS: ANNA FRANKEL OF FRENKEL FILMS

Sruly and 
Bayla smile 
while cutting 
Dovid’s hair, 

continued on page 36

NO MATER HOW YOU 
HONOR HER THIS
 MOTHER’S DAY, WE’RE 
HERE TO HELP.

