DECEMBER 28 • 2023 | 35
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a volunteer with CF
Israel, she’s been helping
to make phone calls to
find out who needs help
and how they can assist.
“So many people are
asking for treadmills
from their CF
organization and for
portable nebulizers like
inhalator machines,
”
she explains. “I personally
even tried to help one of the
families that lived in the South
— they evacuated from their
house; they needed alternative
housing. We have families
that don’t have computers to
communicate with doctors
online, some of them don’t even
have smartphones.
”
Beyond the physical
challenges, the mental and
emotional toll of the war is
profound. Maizels and her
family are living in what they
call “survivor mode.
” They
barely watch TV; they don’t
open mail or videos sent to
them online, and they’re afraid
to even take a simple trip to
the grocery store. Maizels says
she often cries at night when
her kids go to sleep due to the
daily stress and anxiety. Still,
her story is one of hope and
strength. She draws parallels
between the resilience needed
to live with a chronic illness and
what it takes to endure times of
conflict.
“I believe that Israel is strong.
And I know that people here
are very willing to help each
other. Everybody’s doing their
best and we’re united against
this terrorism,
” she says. “I see
the resilience of Israel a little bit
like living with cystic fibrosis. I
think some might say it makes
us weak, but I think it makes us
stronger.
”
To donate to the CF community in Israel,
visit jgive.com/new/en/cad/charity-orga-
nizations/2463 or to support The Bonnell
Foundation, visit thebonnellfoundation.
org.
The Bonnell
family: Molly,
Laura, Emily
and Joe
RIGHT: Laura Bonnell,
bottom, and Nirit
Maizels in Israel,
above, talk via Zoom.
2 3 7 0 1 H A L S T E D R O A D , FA R M I N G T O N H I L L S
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