After spending the first six months of his life in Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Dan (assumed name) finally has a home. Left in the hospital by his biological parents due to a complex medical condition, he was cared for by a devoted team of nurses, volunteers and doctors who called themselves “Dan’s Squad.”
They cooked his meals, washed his clothes so they’d “smell like home,” and filled his days with love. This week, Dan was embraced by a foster family who decided to take him in after reading a Ynet article about his story two months ago.
“We read the piece, and something stirred inside us,” said Daniela, the foster mother. “The moment we held him, we felt he was ours.” For half a year, volunteers from the "First Hug" NGO visited Dan daily, rocking him to sleep, feeding him and surrounding him with warmth.
“We became so attached to him,” said volunteer Yifat Yitzhaki as she prepared for their last goodbye. “It’s hard to leave him, but he’ll finally get the love he deserves.” Finding Dan a home wasn’t easy. His unique medical needs led many interested families to withdraw.
According to the Welfare Ministry, around 60 children in Israel are currently awaiting foster placement, a third of them with special needs. “Fostering a baby with disabilities is one of the deepest acts of humanity,” said Adi Makel, head of the ministry’s foster care services. “It’s not just giving a home—it’s giving hope, meaning and a future.”
Daniela and her husband, Miron (assumed names), hesitated at first but couldn’t ignore what Daniela called “a sign from above.” “My daughter sent me the article,” she recalled. “I said to myself, this isn’t random—this is meant to be.”
Initially, their grown children tried to dissuade them, worried about the challenges ahead. “I told them, ‘This is a soul that needs help, and we’re here,’” Daniela said.
After meeting Dan in the hospital, there was no turning back. “We fell in love instantly,” Daniela said. Miron held the baby in his arms and asked, puzzled, “What’s so different about him? He looks like any other child.” That’s when they knew he was theirs.
Social workers who had accompanied Dan since birth described his adoption as a moment of “hearts opening.” As one of them put it during the farewell ceremony: “It’s not money, wealth, age or experience that makes someone compassionate—it’s the openness of the heart, the willingness to give and the ability to see the good.”