{"id":6585,"date":"2025-09-03T10:21:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T08:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/?p=6585"},"modified":"2025-09-03T11:12:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T09:12:24","slug":"yahavs-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/2025\/09\/03\/yahavs-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Yahav\u2019s\u00a0Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Beyond life, beyond loss\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

by\u00a0Elka Cohen<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

For Dikla Benloulou Naidoo and Lureshan Naidoo,<\/strong> the birth of their third child was nothing short of a miracle. After enduring multiple failed IVF attempts, their circle was finally complete with him. They named him Yahav \u2013 after a character from a beloved Hebrew storybook they often read to their two older children. The name, meaning \u201cCast your faith in G-d and He will sustain you,\u201d reflected not only their painful journey to conceive him but also the immense joy his birth brought to the family. So deep was their gratitude that, instead of bringing gifts, guests at Yahav\u2019s Brit Milah were asked to donate to the Malka Ella Foundation and Hatzolah in his name. And so, his life began with the mitzvah of helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yahav, z\u201dl, came into the world with a quiet, soulful intensity. As seasoned parents, Dikla and Lureshan threw out the rulebook: he never slept alone, always nestled in their arms or by their side, wrapped in the warmth of being deeply wanted and endlessly loved. \u201cAs we knew this would be our last baby, we savoured every moment with him,\u201d says Dikla. To Dikla and Lureshan, Yahav was joy made visible: playful, radiant, full of smiles and deep belly laughs. His bond with his older siblings, Shaiyah (8) and Ilai (6) was unshakeable. The five of them shared the unique bond of a family tightly woven together by a long-awaited wholeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Mother\u2019s Instinct and the Race Against Time<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Despite a healthy pregnancy and birth closely monitored by their medical specialists, Dikla\u2019s motherly intuition stirred unease as Yahav grew. \u201cWhen he started solids at six months, I noticed he wasn\u2019t eating well. Feeding, which should have become easier, only got harder,\u201d she recalls. Yet, despite repeated visits to the paediatrician, no one suspected the gravity of what was to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By July 2024, on a family holiday shortly before his first birthday, more signs of strain became impossible to ignore. Yahav refused to eat, he was irritable and became more restricted in his movements. When Yahav woke up one morning with facial swelling, Lureshan\u2019s first thought was an allergic reaction  \u2013  but deep down, Dikla knew it was something more. For months prior, her concerns had been dismissed or explained away by the family paediatrician. This time, she refused to back down. \u201cI told the paediatrician, \u2018You\u2019re admitting my son today. Run every test. I know something\u2019s not right.\u2019\u201d That day, finally, Dikla\u2019s insistence was heeded, and Yahav was admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After numerous scans, tests and prodding to rule out possible conditions, a late-night diagnosis completely shattered the family\u2019s world. On 10 September  2024, a leading South African paediatric cardiologist, delivered devastating news after a gruelling two-hour echocardiogram. Yahav was diagnosed with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM) \u2013 a rare and aggressive heart condition that robs the heart of its ability to relax and fill with blood. It left their baby fighting for his life, and his parents racing against time. His only chance of survival: a new heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no transplant programme for infants or children under the age of nine here in South Africa,\u201d the doctor told his shocked parents. \u201cYou should go home and make memories.\u201d Dikla and Lureshan refused to accept this fate, waste any time dwelling on the diagnosis or surrender to despair. \u201cWe were shattered, but determined to save our son,\u201d Dikla recalls. From Australia to the USA, and Europe to India, they reached out to specialists across continents \u2013 chasing every possible lifeline, clinging to any glimmer of hope. Among them was Schneider Children\u2019s Medical Centre in Israel, a world-renowned hospital and centre of excellence in paediatric cardiology. \u201cSchneider responded immediately, even offering to fly their own team to South Africa to perform catheterisation and surgery\u201d, recalls Dikla, \u201con condition that we were able to secure a place on the transplant list in South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a time of utter devastation, Schneider became a beacon of hope. \u201cThese were not just doctors,\u201d Dikla explains, \u201cthey were warriors of hope, who gave us comfort when we had none.\u201d From the moment they connected, the team at Schneider reached out with compassion and determination, making Yahav their number one priority, given the severity and rarity of his diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Hope and Love in Israel: Amidst the Chaos of War<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On 25 September 2024, they submitted their Aliyah application, Yahav\u2019s condition necessitating urgent care and a long-term move to Israel. Just 36 days after Yahav\u2019s diagnosis, the Benloulou Naidoo family arrived in Israel. It was a whirlwind of paperwork, packing, and heartache \u2013 all while hoping and praying that Yahav wouldn\u2019t deteriorate, stuck in South Africa with no viable treatment available. Their two older children were devastated to leave behind their home, friends and school, yet they rose to the occasion with remarkable strength. \u201cThey became Yahav\u2019s superheroes, determined to save their brother,\u201d Dikla says, her eyes welling with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family\u2019s network of friends and family wrapped the Benloulou Naidoos in a blanket of support \u2013 offering meals, prayers, and practical assistance. The burden of suddenly uprooting their lives felt more manageable as people stepped up to help them in preparation for the unknown. That support became a source of strength amid the flurry and chaos of the time. \u201cPeople from all over the world \u2013 strangers and friends \u2013 were eager to help in any way possible, without us having to ask. It was the epitome of humanity and kindness, and it provided us with the light we needed in a time that felt impossibly dark,\u201d Lureshan reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon arrival at Schneider, the Benloulou Naidoos stood in reverent awe of the depth of compassion and clarity they were met with from the medical team; it went beyond medicine. A WhatsApp group connected them directly with a team of 20 doctors and specialists. An 8-hour consultation on arrival provided them with immediate reassurance in a time of deep fear and uncertainty. \u201cWe finally felt seen,\u201d Lureshan shares, \u201cNot just seen, but prioritised!\u201d Dikla adds. The team at Schneider offered relief and comfort to the emotionally exhausted parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Benloulou Naidoos fought to save Yahav\u2019s life within the protective walls of Schneider Children\u2019s Medical Centre, rocket fire raged outside. Sirens pierced the hospital corridors, forcing families \u2013 even in the ICU \u2013 to leave their rooms and seek shelter beneath fortified stairwells. In one such moment, Dikla found herself sitting beside a mother from Gaza. \u201cI held Yahav, my 14-month-old, in my arms while she cradled her eight-month-old son, who was connected to a Berlin Heart \u2013 an artificial heart device, known as a VAD, funded by the Israeli government,\u201d she recalls. Amid the chaos and conflict, two mothers \u2013 on opposite sides of a deep and painful divide \u2013 shared a fragile connection. \u201cThere we were,\u201d Dikla says, \u201ctwo mothers with our sons, crouched beneath a stairwell in an Israeli children\u2019s hospital, while war raged between our people outside.\u201d In that moment, they were not enemies shaped by history or politics, but simply two parents \u2013 clinging to their faiths, bound by fear, and desperate to save their children in the hands of the country\u2019s top paediatric specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dikla shares another poignant memory from her journal, \u201cYahav was cared for by an Israeli Arab Muslim nurse who tended to him with a love that crossed every barrier.\u201d During Yahav\u2019s final hours, this nurse\u2019s tireless devotion and compassion brought great comfort. They hugged and cried together. \u201cWe weren\u2019t Jews or Muslims or Christians. She saw me as a mother \u2013 broken open by fear and pure love.\u201d A love that transcended any culture, religion, or conflict. Dr. Efrat Bron-Harlev, CEO of Schneider Children\u2019s Medical Centre, speaks passionately about the hospital\u2019s unique mission. \u201cSchneider is the only standalone paediatric hospital in the Middle East,\u201d she explains. \u201cWe hold an unwavering commitment to treat every child, regardless of origin. We serve as a bridge for peace and healing \u2013 offering hope, comfort, security, and the highest standard of care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a centre of international renown, Schneider receives referrals from across the region and beyond \u2013 including Asia, Africa, and Europe. Since October 7, the hospital has also cared for children released from Hamas captivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Pure Heart Carried Home<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Yahav\u2019s case left a lasting impression on Dr. Ofer Schiller, Head of the Cardiac ICU. \u201cWhen Yahav arrived, he was in overt heart failure. We rapidly escalated care with medications and began discussions about potential ECMO and Berlin Heart devices,\u201d Dr. Schiller recalls. After catheterisation to list Yahav for transplant, his condition deteriorated swiftly. Faced with heartbreaking choices, his parents made a profoundly courageous decision. \u201cThey chose to prioritise Yahav\u2019s dignity and comfort over further invasive interventions,\u201d Dr. Schiller says. \u201cIt was the most noble act of love and bravery \u2013 to let him go peacefully.\u201d Yahav passed away in his parents\u2019 arms, surrounded by the warmth of the ICU team watching over him \u2013 a moment forever etched into the memories of all who cared for him. \u201cHis case still lives in our hearts,\u201d Dr. Schiller says quietly. \u201cWe remember the Benloulou Naidoos with great admiration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family\u2019s final days together at\u00a0Schneider were marked by moments of simple joys too \u2013 a giant pizza shared in high care, a picnic in the hospital gardens where their children sang, danced, and played together. \u201cWe thought this was just the beginning of our long journey,\u201d Dikla recalls softly, \u201cbut just over a week later, it was the end.\u201d With both Restrictive Cardiomyopathy, a newly discovered sudden pulmonary hypertension and arrhythmia, Yahav\u2019s already fragile heart was facing an impossible storm. Even with every possible intervention and all the hope in the world, his little heart could fight no more. \u201cGrief is uncomfortable for others to witness and be around,\u201d she says, \u201cbut for grieving parents, it\u2019s merely love with nowhere to go.\u201d One of the most painful reminders of that love came in a physical form \u2013 Dikla\u2019s body continued producing breastmilk for three weeks after Yahav passed. \u201cThat was really tough,\u201d she admits through tears. And yet, from this deep pain, they are channelling purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing to bury Yahav in Israel felt both natural and sacred. \u201cIt made sense that we were in Israel \u2013 like we were meant to bring his soul home,\u201d Dikla and Lureshan reflect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the heartbreak of holding their child on the fragile line between life and death, they found unexpected solace in a framed Psalm 51:12 on the wall of the cardiac ICU unit: \u201cCreate in me a pure heart, O G-d, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.\u201d Those words stayed with them. Today, they are carved on Yahav\u2019s gravestone \u2013 a lasting reflection of his soul and the love that carried him home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family holds close the Kabbalistic teaching that a person dies when their name is forgotten. With fierce love and unwavering commitment, they vow to keep Yahav\u2019s memory alive by ensuring his name is spoken. Tzaddikim bemitatam nikra\u2019im chayim <\/em>\u2013 the righteous, even in death, are called alive. One of the ways this life-force is sustained is by the invocation of their name, the continuation of their influence, and the fulfilment of their soul\u2019s mission through those still living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yahav Foundation: One Child\u2019s Light Lives on<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

From this grief, a new purpose was born: The Yahav Foundation. \u201cThe foundation is young \u2013 just like Yahav was,\u201d says Dikla. \u201cWe are building it slowly and intentionally, allowing space for both grief and growth.\u201d Their mission is twofold: to support Schneider\u2019s Cardiac ICU, where Yahav received such tender, expert care \u2013 and to provide urgent medical assistance to South African children facing life-threatening conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Schiller, who treated Yahav, underscores the importance of the initiative: \u201cOur ICU is less than half the recommended size. We plan to upgrade and expand but need the support from good people.\u201d Eight-year-old Shaiyah, Yahav\u2019s sister, offers a child\u2019s quiet wisdom: \u201cWe\u2019re so happy we had Yahav as our brother, because we feel him in our hearts every day.\u201d Six-year-old Ilai, Yahav\u2019s brother, is adamant \u201cI didn\u2019t have enough days with Yahav, but I know that we will always be a family of five.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Yahav\u2019s life was heartbreakily brief, his impact is eternal. In just 14 months, he revealed the strength of a soul born with a mission far greater than time could contain. His story is not one of tragedy alone \u2013 it\u2019s the story of a mother\u2019s unwavering instincts and parents who refused to give up hope, choosing love over despair again and again. It\u2019s the story of strangers who became family, and of a hospital that dared to defy the odds when others had surrendered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through endless grief, the Benloulou Naidoos carry Yahav\u2019s name \u2013 not as a fading memory, but as a living legacy. His heartbeat echoes in every act of kindness inspired by his life. And in speaking his name, his soul remains ever-present, continuing to live on in every life his story touches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
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Please scan the QR code to make a donation in Yahav\u2019s name. To ensure your contribution is directed to the Cardiac ICU at Schneider Children\u2019s Medical Centre, kindly include Yahav\u2019s name with your donation until the Yahav Foundation is fully established.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elka Cohen is a journalist and published author who specialises in telling powerful human stories that celebrate community and connection while exploring the many facets of our shared human experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beyond life, beyond loss\u00a0 by\u00a0Elka Cohen For Dikla Benloulou Naidoo and Lureshan Naidoo, the birth of their third child was nothing short of a miracle. After enduring multiple failed IVF attempts, their circle was finally complete with him. They named him Yahav \u2013 after a character from a beloved Hebrew storybook they often read to their two older children. The name, meaning \u201cCast your faith in G-d and He will sustain you,\u201d reflected not only their painful journey to conceive him but also the immense joy his birth brought to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136,142],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-136","category-rosh-hashanah"],"gutentor_comment":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6585"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6588,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6585\/revisions\/6588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}