Dror is a 4-year-old sweet boy living on a kibbutz in the south of Israel. He was born with a rare syndrome called Pitt-Hopkins which is characterized by intellectual disability and developmental delay. 70% of people who have this syndrome are unable to speak, but from the outset Dror’s parents decided he would be amongst the 30% that do speak.
To achieve speech, Dror needs intensive speech therapy, above and beyond what he receives at his kindergarten. However, the family’s HMO refused to fund the extra sessions. This is where the Malki Foundation stepped in.
The Malki Foundation Therapist on Wheels speech therapist, Lisa, has been working with Dror for almost 2 years. Now, he is able to say 8 words! As Dror’s mother wrote in a recent note “I truly believe in the education provided to Dror at the special-ed school, but I believe even more that the people with whom he is most motivated to communicate are with my husband and me.” She goes on to say “We live in an area in Southern Israel where it is extremely difficult to find a therapist. With thanks to you, we received Lisa and have learnt how to be more exact with Dror’s needs, and to develop communication with him.”
This is just one example of why home therapies are so important and we are honored to be part of Dror’s continued growth!
