A few days after delivering a healthy baby at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, Daniela Golan learned she had breast cancer. Fast forward to March 23, 2022, about one year later. Daniela successfully completes her last chemotherapy treatment at Hadassah, and, on Hadassah Hospital’s Facebook page, she pays tribute to the doctors and nurses who helped her reach this milestone.

In her own words:

It was Purim, Saturday night, exactly a year ago. I arrived at Hadassah with labor contractions. Within a few hours, I gave birth to Oz, following an exciting and amazing birth.

I was privileged to receive a particularly sweet mishlocah manot (Purim treat).

Who knew then during that happy Purim that I, a girl who had never seen a hospital from the inside, would get to know Hadassah like the palm of my hand.

Three days after giving birth, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Hadassah became my second home.

It’s hard to describe the pain I was experiencing at the time. Instead of spending maternity leave with my baby, I spent the time in the hospital’s corridors, going from test to test, department to department. Fertility preservation, chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and biological therapy. The whole package.

Along with all the difficulties of this challenging time, I was privileged to meet amazing staff members, who enveloped me with love and supported me, people who made the darkness brighter. Doctors and nurses who treated me with dedication and professionalism.

Today I’m ending a challenging year of treatment, and I would like to thank the staff who were there with me:

Dr. Tal Imbar and the charming nurses of the fertility unit at Hadassah

Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, my oncologist, and Prof. Tanir Allweis, my surgeon

Dr. Tomer Tzur and Dr. Yonatan Wegman, my plastic surgeons

Smadar Daniel Gadassi, the coordinating nurse who accompanied me, hand-in-hand, throughout the entire process, and all the nurses in the oncology day hospital

Psychologists Yaffa Stocker and Avital Lubotzky, who supported me and helped me to avoid falling apart during the difficult moments

Michal, the social worker who helped with the bureaucracy and much more

And Meital and the amazing radiotherapy team

You were all wonderful, but I hope I don’t have to see you ever again—except for check-ups and happy events!