The story of Gizela - Afik Shiraz. Abinun Shmuel

for Leon, except for the same half day we sat ‘seven’. I remember him today when I cease to act and my thoughts came. I remember his generosity of buying food and his loving the life.

In addition to the two front teeth broken in Bergen-Belsen, I lost two more teeth that swung as a result of the thump and finally dropped out. My legs condition, which was weak form birth, were getting worse. Contributed to this was the ongoing malnutrition and lack of vitamins as well as the daily efforts to walk to work in the camp, about 1.5 km each way. The lack of vitamins caused also multiple wounds in my mouth. Over the years my hip joints loosened and I suffered a lot of pain which made it very difficult to do the housework. In 1978 I had the left leg hip replacement and two years later – the right leg hip replacement. To ease the pain I had to use Canadian crutches characterized by the rings holding the arm and being adjustable and light relatively. In 1981, my disability was recognized by Social Security and accepted the disability certificate, and this same year I had the right hip replacement again. And as the pain around the hip joints increased, I consulted Professor Halperin, director of the Orthopedic Department in Asaph Hospital, and at his recommendation it was decided to have me operated again and replace the both legs hip joints. I got the gospel relatively easily - this is the situation and this is the solution. Many women who were with me in rehabilitation soaked in deep depression and I did my best to encourage them. I would tell, "Take everything happily. It will pass. Count the days – each passing day is one less, just two more weeks? And then you’ll see that everything is fine. Here, doing physiotherapy, you already stand on your foot”. But many of them suffered from depression, resulting from a stroke, respond much harder and had difficulty recovering. One of the women there worked as a physician at the Pathology Institute until she got a brain event, and she was severely depressed. We were able to communicate with each other through a smashed Russian, mixed with Yugoslav words and Hebrew, because it was important for me to convey the message to her, "Be happy, you will get out of it!” I tried to convey to her and the other women the attitude that helped me throughout my life and that I believe in it with all my heart: Think well - it will be good. Bad thoughts only do evil in the soul. If it’s not good today, it will be good tomorrow. I don't let myself have bad thoughts. Just don't let those thoughts creep into you. I am busying myself, listening to music, knitting, and so I said to them, "Don't be moody, be a little happy. Engage yourselves so that the bad thoughts cannot enter. Life is not only today. Tomorrow is also a day and tomorrow can be happier.” At that moment they may have accepted me, but a few hours later they were back with tears in their eyes. In light of the worsening condition, I contacted the Immigration and Population Ministry and asked permission to hire a foreign worker, and since then, for about twelve years, I have Jennifer Canasa, called Jenny by all of us. Jenny was discovered as a wonderful, dedicated and pleasant therapist, and most importantly - a human being. She quickly learned to make the stews and pastries that became a tradition in our family, a skill that doesn't fall from mine. When visiting the family she plays with the great-grandchildren with pleasure, and her presence constitutes a nice addition to all of us.

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