Will They Ever Hear the Sound of Joy?

Bonei Olam’s breathtaking scope of services

Bonei Olam creates miracles. Everyone’s heard of Bonei Olam, but the depth and breadth of Bonei Olam’s endeavors are beyond the knowledge of the average person. Many people are aware of the funding provided by Bonei Olam to couples experiencing infertility. But to truly appreciate just how far-reaching Bonei Olam’s impact is, let’s dig just a little deeper.

The silence

Eli and Chani are married for five years. They’ve tried various avenues in their desire to start a family, but they’ve come up empty. They’ve spoke to a number of doctors, who did little to encourage them.

Will they ever hear the sound of joy?

Dovid and Kreindy are married for seven years. They’ve come close to having a child, but the baby passed away in utero. Ever since then, they’ve been traveling from doctor to doctor, trying to figure out what is holding them back from living their dream of holding a baby of their own.

Will they ever hear the sound of joy?

Menachem and Chaya Suri have been married for many years…but their home is silent. They’ve pined for a child. They’ve visited experts across the globe. Their siblings, even those younger than them, all have families of their own, homes bustling with the sounds of homework, supper, sibling rivalry, and even fighting. Beautiful sounds of children. Menachem and Chaya Suri look on with tears in their eyes, wondering, just wondering. Fighting? We’d take the sounds of children fighting. Of course we would.

Will they ever hear the sound of joy—or even of children fighting?

The answer

These three families and others like them have found hope, faith, and guidance in Bonei Olam, the world’s premier organization assisting frum couples challenged with infertility.

Dealing with infertility can be an overwhelming experience. Bonei Olam steps in to help couples on each front. Financially, of course. With grants and interest-free loans, Bonei Olam makes the daunting expenses of infertility diagnosis and treatment manageable.

But it’s not just about the money, though funding is a major part of what Bonei Olam does.

There’s the emotional toll. And the physical as well. And the guidance and encouragement so sorely needed. With Bonei Olam’s medical knowledge and research, the organization is recognized in the worldwide medical arena for its leadership role at the forefront of reproductive medicine, research, and technology. No matter where a person is on their journey, it is a vulnerable and difficult time. Bonei Olam’s trained volunteers are there to support couples with sensitivity and compassion.

“That’s Bonei Olam’s magic,” says one couple who have been zocheh to see the birth of two children with the help of Bonei Olam. “Bonei Olam has helped couples like us nurture their dreams of parenthood while protecting their dignity and their privacy.”

Will they ever hear the sound of joy?

Yes, with the help of Bonei Olam, couples are given the greatest chance, b’siyata d’Shmaya, of hearing the precious sounds of a crying baby, a giggling child, and a laughing toddler in their own home.

The facts

Astonishingly, infertility is not as rare as some might assume. In fact, readers of this article may be surprised to learn that it is a challenge that affects one out of every six couples.

“It is Bonei Olam’s mission to provide the means or resources necessary for a couple experiencing infertility to pursue their dream of parenthood,” says Rabbi Shlomo Bochner, founder of Bonei Olam. “We are here to help at every step of the way, with medical referrals, counselor support, insurance advocacy, financial assistance, and more. We guide couples along the confusing and often traumatic process of the consultation, expediting their appointment and providing guidance and support through a diagnosis and beyond, utilizing our organization’s leverage and prominence in the field to expedite the process.”

Additional consultations are facilitated for a second opinion when necessary, as well as follow-up conferences and discussion to help clients make sense of their diagnosis and chart an appropriate course of treatment.

Financing

As mentioned earlier, Bonei Olam is so much more than just financing. But money is a big part of what Bonei Olam does. And for good reason.

“We believe that money should not be an obstacle for a couple who yearns for a child,” says Mrs. Chanie Bochner, wife of Rabbi Shlomo Bochner. “Based upon a client’s level of need and particular condition, our medical funding programs provide direct funding for doctor’s appointments, pharmacy costs, treatment, and hospitalizations. By providing large-scale funding for fertility treatment and research, we are making sure that couples who desire a family can do everything in their power to reach parenthood.”

Bonei Olam offers grants to make treatment affordable for couples who are not yet parents, and the organization’s Bonayich Interest-Free Loan Fund provides middle-income couples with the ability to finance treatment on their own through manageable payments set over an extended period. At times, Bonei Olam’s team can negotiate a reduced rate with specific labs and private doctors. To date, Bonei Olam has funded over $100 million in infertility treatments for couples.

Genetics and medical diagnoses

Bonei Olam’s commitment to doing whatever it takes to provide couples yearning for parenthood with a child is unrivaled anywhere in the world. Indeed, it has been called by some admirers, “One of the wonders of the world.”

When it comes to genetics, Bonei Olam is innovative and forward-thinking. Through its Center for Rare Jewish Genetic Disorders, Bonei Olam has made considerable inroads in the field of advanced genetic research and development, identifying and preventing genetic disorders associated with ethnic Jewish populations, many of which are not detectable through pre-marital screening. Bonei Olam’s in-house staff of genetic researchers have earned the highest regard of global experts in the genetic and fertility arenas for their insights, opinions, discoveries, and expertise, which have been published in prestigious medical papers and journals. This includes various breakthroughs in the detection of a hereditary cancer predisposition in specific genetic mutations.

Bonei Olam has developed a highly productive relationship with world-renowned geneticists, labs, and medical centers, and has retained the services of a dedicated genetics counselor, enabling crucial input and leading to the most up-to-date remedies for each particular case.

In painful cases where women are dealing with a disorder or diagnosis of cancer, and the diagnosis is exacerbated with questions of how it will affect their ability to have children in the future, Bonei Olam provides full medical and emotional support and guidance.

“A woman or girl should never feel alone through a medical ordeal,” says Rabbi Bochner. “Our team of medical experts and trained counselors guide every person in complete confidentiality.”

Thanks to Bonei Olam, women of all ages have a number to call, and a caring, compassionate counselor with whom to share their concerns and make sense of their situation. For a woman who needs further medical care, Bonei Olam will assist in securing an appointment with an appropriate practitioner or facility and continue to provide medical guidance and support.

Bonei Olam’s Cancer Fertility Preservation program assists cancer patients and others in taking the appropriate measures to secure the chances of bearing healthy children upon recovery from cancer. This includes referrals and consultations with leading medical experts, as well as financing the various costly procedures involved. Bonei Olam also provides medical information and rabbinic guidance for those with onco-fertility questions as it pertains to shidduchim.

Insurance

Bonei Olam’s insurance advocates are well-versed in mandated coverage guidelines and up to date on state laws. Using their leverage and proficiency, Bonei Olam’s advocates are ready to advise couples on selecting a proper plan and expediting approvals for procedures to which they are rightfully entitled. Bonei Olam’s advocates also help couples navigate the insurance appeals process and advocate for a couple who has been denied a benefit that their plan should cover.

Pediatric and adolescent development

Bonei Olam’s work can often begin early on.

A parent’s most fervent wish is that their children develop healthily and normally. When a parent or doctor notices differences in a child’s makeup, growth, or development, they will usually seek a specialist’s advice.

Bonei Olam’s medical team has fielded thousands of calls regarding pediatric and adolescent development cases and can help find a sensitive, skilled medical professional who can guide clients through proper testing, diagnosis, and treatment options. Counselors help guide parents and patients through emotional and practical aspects of their particular situation.

Shidduchim can be especially challenging when navigating a reproductive condition. Rabbanim and counselors are trained to help Bonei Olam clients navigate each scenario with sensitivity, grace, and halachic guidance.

Pregnancy

For Bonei Olam couples, pregnancy is a stage they wait and hope for. Often, couples who have endured long years of dealing with infertility are confronted by the new challenge of a high-risk pregnancy as a result of their age or other complexities. It is an exciting time, but also one fraught with worries, further testing, and high-risk concerns.

During a pregnancy with complications, care and treatment are a highly specialized field, often involving costly medical fees. Loss of work and function due to required bed rest puts an additional strain on the family’s finances and equanimity. Bonei Olam provides crucial resources, such as counseling, financial assistance, and every possible means of support to bring the pregnancy to a healthy and successful culmination. There are so many factors that can affect the health and well-being of the pregnant mother and the unborn child, as well as the chances for a successful birth.

From expedited appointments and medical referrals to counseling and guidance, Bonei Olam is there to help clients along the journey. In the case of a failed pregnancy, lo aleinu, Bonei Olam’s team is available to assist with immediate needs, and for emotional and practical support.

Lakewood, we asked, “Will they ever hear the sound of joy?”

In the Lakewood area alone, Bonei Olam has facilitated the births of over 800 babies.

Eight hundred babies who bring the sound of joy to their parents.

Eight hundred babies who fill their homes with the priceless sounds of childhood.

Eight hundred is a number to celebrate, but there are so many more couples who need help. They need Bonei Olam. Desperately.

So what can we do?

A campaign has just been launched to enable 75 couples in the Lakewood area to receive funding and other vital services from Bonei Olam.

We can do so much.

We can help Eli and Chani, Dovid and Kreindy, and Menachem and Chaya Suri hear the sounds of joy.

We can enable them to realize their very own miracle, with the help of Hashem.

Let’s do it.

Let’s send away the sound of silence once and for all.

Let’s lead the effort to provide Bonei Olam with the wherewithal to continue changing the face of Klal Yisrael one couple at a time, one baby at a time—one miraculous, delicious, precious baby at a time.

Sidebar

Bonei Olam’s Lakewood branch by the numbers

Yearly budget of $1.5 million

Over 10,000 calls for assistance per year

Over 170 couples assisted annually

0ver 800 babies born to date through direct financial assistance

5 dedicated local counselors