Summary of Medications Recycling Programs 2009

As a part of our medications recycling program, we daily see amazing stories that happen and thereby get a glimpse of the magnitude of this special project.

In the year 2009 we gave over $3,500,000 to over 3,500 people!!

First, a few facts. In 2009, "Haverim-Friends for Health" donated meds to over 3,593 people at a value of $3,408,080. From January through December 2009, over 802 cancer patients were helped by medications at a value of $2,710.526. Over 2,791 chronic drugs were given out to chronically ill patients at a value of $697,750. All of the medications were packed up and taken by the patients themselves or were sent out by the organization itself.

Now for a story. On Tuesday a man named Chaim, called the secretary, Rachel, who is directly responsible for the project and told her that in the midst of a checkup during his wife's current pregnancy, it turned out that the fetus was in danger. In order to save the pregnancy the woman needed to take a medication called Omrigam that day and the next, otherwise the pregnancy would likely terminate.

Rachel checked to see if we had any of that particular medicine, which we didn't but she encouraged him to leave his details with her just in case any came in. Out of feelings of disappointment and discouragement the husband decided not to leave his details with the organization feeling sure that no medicine would come in anyway.

On Wednesday "Friends for Health" got a phone call from a woman who had just gone through a miscarriage and wanted to donate a large amount of Omrigam that she had left.

The secretary was very happy about the unusual donation that came in, but was sorry that she didn't have in her hands the details of the Chaim, whose wife needed the Omrigam. She asked that the donor send it anyway in case someone else would need it.

First thing the next day, Thursday afternoon, the donor came into the office with a full supply of Omrigam which was put into the pharmacology room. Less than a quarter of an hour after the medicine arrived Chaim called to say that the situation with their baby had worsened and his wife was in danger of miscarrying.

He was going to buy the medicine privately for 22,000 shekel - would "Haverim-Friends for Health" help him pay for it? He couldn't believe it when Rachel told him that a huge supply of the medicine had arrived at the organization and his wife would receive it at no cost.

And thereby the fetus was saved at the last minute. As are so many lives saved by our Medication Recycling Program. But the lives of many who don't get their medicines hang in the balance precariously waiting for their miracle to happen…