As seen in www.YeshivaWorld.com
The following story
was reported by Rabbi Yaakov Pinsky, director of Chaiyanu/Chai Lifeline Israel.
I have just witnessed one of the most incredible stories
regarding El Al that I have ever come across in my life.
Today
we sent 30 Israeli children with cancer to Camp Simcha in the United States for
a life-affirming break from their illnesses. For the past 20 years, El Al has
been our partner in the process, helping us to make sure our children are safe,
secure, and happy during their journey.
After everyone was checked in, the
Chaiyanu medical staff gave our children a final pre-flight examination and our
group was seated on the flight. Once everyone was comfortable, our senior staff
member collected the passports to have them prepared for entry into the United
States. The passports were counted, and to everyone’s shock, one was missing.
No one could find Inbar’s passport.
Our staff looked high and low, in and under every seat and seat pocket. No
passport was found. The flight attendants immediately called the ground crew to
help them locate the lost passport. The airport was alerted, and they too
searched everywhere from the boarding gate to the El Al aircraft.
Time was passing fast and the
flight needed to depart. Still no passport was found. The ground crew entered
the plane and searched frantically for Inbar’s passport. After 25 minutes of
pulling apart the aircraft, the crew admitted defeat. El Al had no choice but
to tell Inbar that she could not fly. El Al sadly called her mother to tell her
that Inbar’s passport was lost and that the girl, who had been fighting illness
so valiantly, would not be able to fly to Camp Simcha.
What a horrible experience for an
11 year old girl to have to go through. As the reality dawned on everyone,
passengers, crew, our group, and Inbar herself, the mood on the plane went from
dismay at the inconvenience to sadness and shock that Inbar was losing her
chance for a vacation from illness. It was terrible to experience. It wasn’t
enough that she has cancer, but now Inbar was facing another horrible
disappointment in her life. The flight attendants were crying as they escorted
Inbar off the plane. The doors shut, and the plane left the gate.
The plane was almost on the runway
when some shouted she found Inbar’s passport in another child’s knapsack. The
news was heard on the entire airplane, and of course the crew immediately
radioed that the missing passport was on the plane. But once a plane departs
from the gate, it does not return to the gate to pick up a passenger.
So began frantic phone calls
between the El Al staff and airline crew on the plane, the El Al offices on the
ground, and the Ben Gurion Airport authorities. It seems so hopeless. It really
looked like Inbar was in for another disappointment. But after 15 minutes of
phone calls, and a subsequent delay of more than a half hour, El Al did the
unthinkable and unprecedented: the plane returned to the gate to pick up this
11-year-old girl with cancer and take her to Camp Simcha.
Inbar couldn’t believe it. Her
dream came true! Those of us on the plane experienced something as well.
Instead of the hostility that usually greets a plane delay, there were cheers
and tears on that El Al plane, flight 007. Passengers and crew shared Inbar’s
happiness and excitement.
Today was one of the greatest
moments I have ever experienced! There are no words that can describe the
heartfelt gratitude and appreciation we have to El Al and the Ben Gurion
Airport authorities. They have performed a miracle for some very special people
today. It was an event for the history books, and everyone on that plane will
be forever touched by El Al’s determination to accompany Inbar to the US.
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