It has been 20 years since two Brooklyn parents decided to take action after they lost their son following a heroic seven year battle against cancer. Ari and Idy have been dedicating their life to help other parents and children cope with their illness.

Their flagship program is a four day trip to Florida, giving the sickest children a break from treatments and hospitals. In the past 20 years they brought over 1,500 children to Florida on group wish trips. On December 8th, 2013 a group of 50 children with cancer will exchange their hospital beds for the experience of a lifetime in Orlando. Flown in from all over the US and Canada, they’ll be guests of honor at top attractions like Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and will be treated to a private shopping spree at ToysRUS. Parents aren’t allowed on the trip, so they can rest and spend quality time with the rest of the family.

The trip is organized and funded by the Ohr Meir Foundation, a groundbreaking organization that has played a pioneer role in medically supervised travel for children with cancer for two decades. The trip is made possible thanks to a dream team of volunteers, made up of professionals including a director of oncology at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital, Dr. Peter Steinhertz, head nurses, leading paramedics, restaurant chefs, drivers and chaperons. Everyone on the trip and in the organization is a volunteer. A state of the art mobile infirmary is set up to support the kids wherever they go. With a one-to-one ratio of counselor to child, the children are free to be children again, without the cloud of worry that has become their daily companion. They find true friends in their fellow campers and forge lasting bonds with the entire staff. The trip enables them to establish an invaluable support system for the road ahead.

Founder Ari Friedman notes that these children are all in the midst of their fight against cancer. Some come directly from the hospital and will continue their treatments during the trip thanks to the fact that their doctors volunteered to join them. “It will be a very special and exciting trip, it’s magical to see kids from around the country get together and learn how to cope with their illness as one family. They share stories of courage. Their smiles gives us strength to do this year after year.

“The Ohr Meir Trip” will depart from JFK Airport at 8:00AM JetBlue Terminal 5. Terminal access can be provided on request.

About Ohr Meir:

The Ohr Meir Foundation is a non-profit volunteer based 501(c)3 organization dedicated to bringing a feeling of joy and hope to the hearts of sick children. It provides a variety of programs, including practical support for families, assistance in the hospitals and magical trips throughout the year. The foundation prides itself in having absolutely no overhead or administrative costs, with 100% of every dollar donated going directly to benefit the children and their families. Ohr Meir is comprised of an all-volunteer staff- including physicians and others- all recognizing and joining in the selfless devotion and purpose of the foundation.
www.ohrmeir.org

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