Asbury Park Press exclusive: Brandon Cortez has weak muscles and uneven legs, his right foot is slightly shorter than the left are. His mother, Petronilla Sanchez, always has found a way to handle the situation. She got him through early intervention classes with a stroller and some extra cab fares.
Yet when the time came to figure out transportation to his new school, strollers no longer cut it. The bus company’s liability laws required Brandon to have a wheelchair. Sanchez, living on the wages of a cleaning woman, could not afford one. And because Brandon’s condition was deemed more a delay than a disability, the insurance company was not helping a component of Brandon’s education that has become a snag that could disrupt it.
Officials at the township Board of Education the same people who found and will pay for Brandon’s new school, the state-approved Lehmann School for the disabled began brainstorming options and calling civic organizations, schools and clubs for a donated wheelchair that fits Brandon’s tiny frame.
A local organization, Bikur Cholim, which supplies people with medical supplies and support, offered to lend Brandon a small enough wheelchair for at least 30 days.
“We hope they get (equipment) from social services, but sometimes they need it right away,” said Yehudah Kaszirer, Cholim’s administrative director.
On Monday, two days before Brandon’s first day of school, Cucuro delivered the chair to his home.
(To read the extended story, click HERE to visit the APP website.)
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12 Responses
Kudos to the BC
Would’ve loved to see the paper mention that it is a Jewish (orthodox) organization…
what a major kiddush hashem!
to whoever…why all this excitment over “kiddish hasem”, “did they mention in paper” .do you have a complex of being a shomrei torah u’mitzvos that you have to proove yourself for the “imos holem”?
The kiddush hashem is “memeileh’ but do you jump up and down like immature child? Do you do things for ‘riboni shelolom’ or them?
yay!
sweeeeet
Would’ve loved to see the paper mention that it is a Jewish (orthodox) organization…
Not gonna happen. That would be complimentary to the Orthodox Community. This is the APP after all…
The APP is no friend of ours. In this story, even they were forced to see a huge Kiddush Hashem.
We all know the wonderful work of Bikur Cholim. HKB”H should give them koyach to continue their Avodas Hakodesh!
Well, not to be a party pooper, but what is the Kiddush HaShem? According to the Rambam, a Kiddush HaShem means showing that you keep the mitzvos. Now here, they were an organization showing that they are part of the community, but I don’t recall a mitzva to be nice to gentiles (unless they’re Egyptian) and while it’s not a problem of Lo Sichanem because they were getting some benefit from the good PR, I’m wondering why this is considered a Kiddush HaShem.
Jent1150, you are right on the mark! I guess the author thinks no one believes in doing the right thing anymore unless its for a Kiddush Hashem. The Mitvah before kiddush Hashem in the enumeration of the Rambam is vehalachta bidrachav, which the Talmud explains as meaning that we have to emulate Hashem, just as he is kind and merciful so should we be so. Shame is that these Bikur guys are awesome doing wonderful mitvos, lets pat them on the back for that, which is the “ikar”.
to #9 jersey yid..yashor kochacem for compliment..but i meant also for all who jump up & down “kiddush hasem” and can feel from tone of wrting like they want to proove themselve in eyes of shmutz, immoral, papers,reporters etc.etc
#8/ObservantJew: I’m sorry, chessed isn’t a mitzvah. Chesed doesn’t apply to gentiles? What warped chinuch did you get?
Chessed is not done for publicity. If we don’t steal or we stop at red lights,we should throw a party.??Let the goyish paper mention that it was a private Jewish organization that did this act,then we could be proud. But let’s not ‘show-off’ like children.