A few months ago, I was at the wedding of a Tikvah Layeled graduate. And what a wedding it was! There was so much laughter, so many smiles, so many tears! Everyone was crying – even the waiters. You couldn’t not cry.

To watch the kallah make her way to the chuppah, arms gripping her braces, spindly legs    concealed in frothy white;

To see the chosson, Moishe, wheel himself around his kallah;

To join the exuberant dancing!

Oh, you should have seen the dancing! Moishe went strong, for hours. He danced and danced, and his spirit and joy more than made up for the fact that he was dancing from a wheelchair. He danced with every guest – his family and friends, doctors and therapists; even celebrity Rabbi Uri Zohar! It was a rare event; even a once-in-a-lifetime event; and the very walls were dancing.

But while it was clearly Moishe’s night, the joy also belonged to Tikvah Layeled.

Tikvah Layeled taught Moishe every skill he knows. They taught him to eat with a spoon; to speak clearly; to get around independently – all major challenges for a child with cerebral palsy. But Moishe mastered them all! Now he’s married, and there’s nothing standing between him and a glorious future.

Let me tell you something. Tikvah Layeled has the best-trained therapists and the most advanced equipment. But we also have one more thing: love. Our therapists simply adore the children they work with. And the children respond to that love, by pushing themselves and reaching great heights. And when they do, the therapists are almost as happy as the children themselves.

The Tikvah Layeled staff was so happy at Moishe’s wedding; you’d think he’s their child. And in a way, he is. Because it was thanks to them that he was able to reach this amazing milestone. It was a marvelous thing to be part of. The truth is, it’s marvelous, every time a Tikvah Layeled child reaches a milestone.

To learn more about Tikvah Layeled’s amazing work visit: www.TikvahLayeled.org