The sounds coming from behind the door of Room No. 4 in the Ophthalmology Department at the "Emek" Medical Center in Afula is accompanied for the most part by laughter, cries of joy and a rush of Amharic. The Asamamo's are a new "Olim" family from Ethiopia, currently residing at Kibbutz Beit Alfa in the Beit Shan Valley who arrived in Israel only two months earlier thanks to the efforts of the Jewish Agency. However, their journey here was long and full of hardships.

As a young child, Wabantzi had lost her vision because of a severe case of cataracts. At that time a delegation of Israeli physicians, particularly ophthalmologists traveled to Ethiopia as part of an Israel Foreign Ministry medical delegation sent to treat the local population that was afflicted with a variety of illnesses. Physicians from the "Emek" Medical Center have participated in a number of similar delegations.

"When we heard that it was possible to help Wabantzi in Israel, it made us even more motivated to get here", said her father, who also added, "We were placed on the waiting list of those awaiting final approval to make aliyah. We lived in Gundar for eight years until final approval was given."

Although it took a while for the family to arrive, in the end their aliyah was finally approved. This past June the family made their first home in Israel in Kibbutz Beit Alfa, and joined the Clalit Health Services, where there the doctors immediately diagnosed the problem and referred her for further treatment at the "Emek" Medical Center.

"The patient saw nothing other than a beam of light from the flashlight that I shined in her eyes", recounted Dr. Yaron Lang, head of the hospital's Ophthalmology Department, "I have not seen many cases such as this in my life".

The excitement outside the operating room this week was tremendous. The surgery was performed by Dr. Mazoi Naiel. The waiting room was filled with family members and her physicians. After a number of nerve wrenching hours, the operation was successfully completed and Wabantzi was placed in the recovery room.

In the words of her father, "I never dreamed that my daughter would ever be able to see again. I want to thank the amazing staff, the doctors who restored the light in our lives, may light accompany them wherever they shall go, and may G-d be with them".