Computer for Maya

Hannah, 30, and Leon, 35, certainly have their hands full.

Leon had a complicated upbringing. He immigrated to Israel from Eastern Europe as a child. His parents were divorced, and his mother remained behind. Once in Israel with his father, Leon floated between boarding schools. It wasn’t an easy childhood.

Hannah also came to Israel as a child. The couple met and had three children, Alma (3.5), Tal (5), and Maya (7).

Leon started his own import/export business. Unfortunately, a year ago, the business crashed. Leon found work in the personnel department of a cleaning company. The company recently shut down, and Leon is now unemployed. Hannah works as a cleaner.

Hannah and Leon are struggling to make ends meet. To add to their troubles, Alma was recently diagnosed as autistic. She doesn’t speak and is developmentally delayed in other areas as well.

Alma’s diagnosis caused a lot of tension within the family. At first, Hannah and Leon had trouble accepting their new reality. Once they did, they had to figure out how to give Alma the attention she needed without ignoring her older siblings. It has been extraordinarily challenging, especially given their dire financial situation.

Alma needs round-the-clock attention which means that either Hannah or Leon has to be home at all times. This has impacted their ability to work and left them in heavy debt. They have no family support and are struggling to make ends meet.

While Hannah and Leon figure out how to move forward, they desperately want to provide Maya with a computer. Many of her school assignments require the use of a computer, and it would also provide a wonderful outlet for her during her free time.

Given the tensions at home, there is no question that a computer would be a great asset to Maya’s growth and development.