Last month, the Kirschbaum family’s suffering was on the lips of nearly every Jew in the world, as they mourned the loss of their teenage son. Nachman (15) was crushed to death in what is now being referred to as the “Meron tragedy.”

The Kirschbaums flew at the beginning of this week to America in order to get an emergency liver transplant for their six-year-old daughter Michali. Before leaving the country, however, they made one very important stop – to the beis hakevorim.

With her severely enlarged abdomen, little Michali wept & prayed by the fresh grave of her beloved older brother. The family asked him to be a meilitz yosher on their behalf, as they venture across the world to save Michali’s life. The amount of siyata d’shmaya they will need is beyond nature: They do not have the money to afford the procedure, but booked the flight regardless, as they were not willing to give up on their child’s life.

They are now raising money, urgently trying to reach their goal of covering not only the $200,000 cost of the surgery, but basic living accomodations for the children so that they will not be homeless or hungry while they are abroad. Though many have chipped in to help, doctors will not accept Michal into the operating room until the procedure has been paid for.

Losing a child is not something that anyone would ever ask for – The pain and its effects on their family ripple on for years, even generations. The Kirschbaums choose to believe, however, that there was a higher purpose for Nachman’s passing, and perhaps part of that purpose was that he could arrive at the gates of shomayim himself, to ask for his little sister’s life to be spared. 

Readers who would like to help the Kirschbaums can do so here for a limited time.