When Sandra, 86, decided to travel to Israel from Memphis, Tennessee, with her daughter for a family wedding and visit her grandson Bradley, his wife, Sufa, and their two-year-old son, Ariel, she had no idea her visit would take a drastic turn when the war with Iran began.

But on Sunday, March 1, as yet another siren went off to indicate Iranian missiles had been launched at Israel, they all rushed to get to the safe room in Bradley and Sufa’s home in Netivot. In her haste, Sandra, the beloved matriarch of the family, affectionately known as “GG,” stumbled and fell on her back. Paralyzed by the pain, she couldn’t move.

Bradley stayed on the floor beside her while the rest of the family took shelter in the safe room. After 30 minutes, when Sandra still couldn’t get up and was in agony, she finally agreed for Bradley to call an ambulance. But none were readily available as they were called to assist in post-missile emergencies in Beer Sheva. Finally, Sandra was evacuated and rushed to the hospital, alone in the ambulance with Bradley driving behind her. At the hospital, it was quickly understood how severe Sandra’s injury was, having broken her hip, and that she needed to undergo immediate surgery.

Meanwhile, for Sufa, March 1 was especially difficult as she suffers from PTSD and is recognized as a victim of terror since the October 7 attacks in 2023. On that day, she and Bradley were planning to drive to Kibbutz Be’eri to announce to her family and friends that Sufa was pregnant. Instead, they hid in their safe room as their street was bombed and watched with fear as Hamas terrorists entered Netivot. At the same time, relatives and close friends were murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri. She never got the chance to tell them she was pregnant, never got the chance to say goodbye. When their baby was born, Sufa and Bradley named him Ariel as an acronym for her beloved family members who were murdered in Be’eri, and ever since, Sufa and her family have been doing all they can to move forward, and Sufa has been receiving ongoing support from The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror.

Now The Jewish Agency is there for Sandra, having reached out to Bradley and Sufa to offer immediate assistance through our Roaring Lion Fund while their GG was in the hospital. Given the expenses already incurred and the trauma of the day, this support came at exactly the right time.

After four days, Sandra was released from the hospital and Jewish Agency staff came to visit her, bringing the warm embrace of Jewish communities from around the world. She has a long recovery ahead of her and will need help in securing a safe journey home when she is able. Fortunately, Sandra and the family are not alone – The Jewish Agency will be there, continuing to provide critical support.