‘Health care was in her soul’

Rambam pediatric nurse leaves all her assets to children with cancer

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Rambam Medical Center campus contains the National Poison Control Center (NPCC) (photo credit: Courtesy)
Rambam Medical Center campus contains the National Poison Control Center (NPCC)
(photo credit: Courtesy)
For almost half a century, Pnina Arazi, a nurse at Rambam Medical Center and other Haifa hospitals, devoted herself to treating thousands of patients.
After Arazi died at the age of 81 some two and a half years ago, Rambam learned that she had donated all of her assets to the hospital’s pediatric hemato-oncology department.
A dedication ceremony was held last week at Rambam’s Ruth Children’s Hospital in which four isolation rooms were opened for children with cancer who cannot be hospitalized with anyone else due to the risk of infections. The rooms were built according to the highest standards with the most advanced equipment. The event was attended by members of Arazi’s family and top management of Rambam, including director-general Prof. Rafael Beyar.
“The subject of health care was in her soul,” said Ami Ravid, a relative of Arazi who helped carry out her will.
“She wanted only one thing – for her assets to benefit children with cancer, and that’s what we did. It was an emotional closing of the circle for all of us.”
She made aliya from Egypt in 1951 when she was 18 years old and settled in Haifa.
After graduating from nursing school, she decided to devote herself to patients in Haifa. Her knowledge of Arabic helped her converse with patients who did not know Hebrew.
Even though she had family, she decided to leave all her money and assets to Rambam so she could continue to benefit young patients even after she was gone.