"The Dead Sea will become the
Mecca for the CF patients
around the World"
Christiane Herzog(
Oct. 1998) The
10th. Jubilee
Shalom to everybody,
It
was a cold winter evening on Wednesday, March 8th. 1995, at 8 pm, in Berlin Germany,
when a friend of mine, the Photo Journalist Mr. Udo Laur, introduced me to the
most extraordinary lady I had ever met that very soon became my " Partner
for Tango".
When I first met this lady I could hardly pronounce the word
"mukovitzidose", which later I learnt is Cystic Fibrosis. I can remember
how I wrote this word in Hebrew letters, from right to left of course, and read
it with so many mistakes from that piece of paper, while she was laughing, but
I add: "My dear lady, I have come from the Dead Sea, Israel, which is well
known because of the low altitude, as the place with the richest Oxygen Saturation
in the world. If this disease has something to do with children, with lung problems
and with breathing difficulties, please accept my donation of 3 rooms OTH (On
The House) in the Hotel of which I am its General Manager, send 3 children with
escort persons, and lets have a try….".
The lady was the first lady of
Germany, the late Mrs. Christiane Herzog.
I do miss her very much. 
Seven
months later on Tuesday, November 14th. 1995 at 6:30 pm., the first two children
arrived from Germany to the Tzel-Harim Hotel at the Dead Sea, and all the rest
is history.
During these years, more than 250 CF patients from various countries
in Europe and from the US, have stayed at the CF Center, located ever since at
the beautiful Hod Hotel on the Dead Sea shore. Some of them have visited more
then once.
4 medical researches have been performed and presented in International
CF Conferences, some of which were also published, with the most significant
conclusion: There is no such a place for CF patients,
in the entire world, like the Dead Sea.
It is a pity
that some disturbances caused over the last 4 years, like unrest in the region
among others,
prevented patients from coming and staying at our center.
I
can assure you that those that did come, enjoyed their stay, improved their lung
functions and their quality of life.
Last Season
The last
season of winter 2004-2005 that recently ended was significant with some patients
from the US. Beside other benefits they gained, they proved that the long travel
from America is not such a problem and it can be done with no special fears and
difficulties!
Catherine and Colin wrote their impressions and experiences at
the Chat Room of the web site www.cysticfibrosis.com
on Category Adults, cfcenter Israel, after returning home, as follows: "….
this place is truly amazing! I have never felt so good. it is open to all ages
and is a blast. its not really a camp …"
Wrote Catherine H. (26)
from Maryland, US.
"….This place is really amazing. I could breathe
through my nose after the first treatment and continued to do so for the remainder
of the trip. That is something that I can't do at home. I also gained weight and
my lung functions showed significant increase on the spirometer tests from when
I arrived…."
Wrote Colin E. (30) from Indiana, US.
We are calling and inviting the US patients and all other CF patients where ever
they are, to come and enjoy the benefit the miracle legacy of the Dead Sea, at
our Center at the Hod Hotel. Medical Research update
As
mentioned in Newsletter No 9, the Medical Research results conducted by the Medical
Sport Department of the Wingate Institute, to assess and to prove that the stamina
and the ability of CF Patients improved and increased whilst at the Dead Sea,
has been published, with a significant conclusion, under the headline:
THE
EFFECT OF LOW ALTITUDE AT THE DEAD SEA ON EXERCISE CAPACITY AND CARDIO-PULMONARY
RESPONSE TO EXERCISE IN CF PATIENTS OF MODERATE SEVERITY
Conclusion:
These results suggest that even a brief stay at the Dead Sea area may
have physiological benefits for CF patients with moderate to severe lung disease.
This study was presented at the meeting of the Israel Clinical Pediatric Society
in Tel Aviv, February 2005
For
more information (abstract) , click here. Next
season
For your convenience, the following are the periods and dates for
the coming season:
| No
Pseudomonas | 30.10.2007
- 20.11.2007 | | Pseudomonas | 20.11.2007
- 11.12.2007
11.12.2007 - 01.01.2008
01.01.2007 - 22.01.2008
22.01.2008
- 12.03.2008
12.03.2008 - 05.03.2008 |
| Cepacia | 05.03.2008
- 26.03.2008 |
For
Registration Click Here The Medical staff headed by Prof.
A. Tal, the Physiotherapists Bat-Sheva and Yardenna, the Hod Hotel staff headed
by Mr. Udi Zichermann and myself are looking forward to your arrival.
Yours
sincerely
See you soon at your Center at the Dead Sea!
Benjamin
Pinkas |
