0 CommentsAlthough gift giving season is officially over with the end of the December holidays, for some, giving of themselves is an year-round occasion.
Holly Harwood Skolkin, mother of Emory and Dana Skolkin and wife to Dr. Mark Skolkin, is a nine-year cancer survivor, who still undergoes regular preventative treatment. Her own experience is perhaps what qualifies her to reach out to other patients facing a life-threatening illness, because she has lived, survived, and even thrived despite a “dim stage-IV cancer prognosis.”
Holly Skolkin can often be found at the supermarket shopping for Aishel House residents.
She is now a volunteer extraordinaire for a wonderful nonprofit organization, Aishel House, run by Rabbi Eliezer Lazaroff and his wife, Rochel Lazaroff. The organization provides housing, food, emotional support, and many other services to families of all denominations who come to Houston’s Medical Center for long term care. As much as the Lazaroffs personally do, they depend on volunteers like Holly and others.
Holly was recently named their volunteer of the year and honored at a fundraising event. “Other people might find what I do as draining, but it really recharges me when I connect with a patient,” Holly explains. “No one quite understands what it is like, the worries, and everything else that goes with having a life-threatening illness. I get to give people hope, and I try to give them my strength and my energy by reaching out and soothing their heart, soul, and mind.”
Just about every day, you can find Holly shopping, cooking, delivering, visiting, or making arrangements for patients who are staying at the Aishel House. She has gotten both her children involved, as well.
Holly is not the only area person bringing comfort and hospitality to visitors. The entire Kirshon family—Dr. Brian Kirshon, wife Carol, their 15-year-old son Layne, and their 12-year-old daughter Samantha—are among the Aishel House volunteers. Carol and Layne commit to an every Friday meal delivery to patients and families staying at Aishel House.
“I live a privileged life, and I feel that it is important to give back to the community,” Layne said. “No matter how I am feeling before I deliver, after I leave the hospital, I feel like a different person. It is a reality check to see kids whose lives are on the line. You then realize that you’ve been blessed.”
The Kirshon family all volunteer for the Aishel House. Pictured are Dr. Brian Kirshon, daughter Samantha, wife Carol Kirshon, and son Layne.
Dr. Roy Herbst, and his wife, Karen, have gotten involved as well. “My wife and I will always do as much as we can do to help, because as an oncologist, I know what it is like for out of town patients who have to stay here for a long period of time,” Roy said.
“The Aishel House is an environment where people help with both the physical and emotional support needed. Amazing things come from the organization.”
Though she is battling her own illness, Julie Lewis Scheinthal is taking steps to help countless others. Receiving years of all kinds of treatments for multiple sclerosis, Julie remains a devoted wife and mother and is taking good care of herself. She has her good days and her bad days.
But still, she gives of herself. She planned last year’s Women Against Multiple Sclerosis, the first fundraising luncheon hosted by the Lone Star Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, with seven other women.
Fundraising is near and dear to her heart because she is convinced that a cure can be found in her lifetime. Her own symptoms of the disease come and go, and she has to believe that part of the reason is the treatments she receives. For example, last year she lost all of her vision, and this year, her vision is back—weaker than it was but definitely restored.
“There is a selfish element, but my hope is for other people—people I don’t even know—because I truly believe that stem cell research is the forefront of new medicine,” Julie said. “Stem cell research is being used to treat progressive, debilitating, and incurable diseases. They are using it to treat Parkinson’s, diabetes, and heart disease.”
Julie said that her husband Steve had a heart attack at the age of 40. Though he is now 45 and in good health again, she wants others that suffer from heart disease to have cures on the horizon.
“Over 128 million people suffer from heart disease, and research in stem cells shows great promise in new procedures and techniques to reverse degenerative heart disease,” Julie said. “There will be a point in time when new healthy tissues can be generated around the heart to rebuild a diseased heart.”
With their example and a new year upon us, there is no better time than the present to give of yourself to an organization or cause that you believe in.
