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Contact: Renee Young
Hadassah National Public Relations
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Hadassah Receives $4.75M Grant from Helmsley Charitable Trust
to Expand New Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit

October 4, 2018 – NEW YORK, NY - The Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a $4.75M grant to the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Israel to expand its Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit, announced Ellen Hershkin, National President, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA).  The funding will establish and equip the new unit, located in the Sharett Institute of Oncology at Hadassah University Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. The completed BMT unit will be named after Helmsley.

“HMO is very grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for its vital support,” states HMO Director General Prof. Zeev Rotstein. “The demand for these highly specialized treatments is constantly increasing and this generous gift furthers Hadassah Medical Organization’s mandate to provide world-class health care to all the people of Israel, regardless of race, religion or nationality.” Currently, HMO provides health care to approximately one million residents annually in Jerusalem and neighboring communities, including the West Bank.

The new expanded Pediatric BMT unit will be part of the Department of BMT and Immunotherapy headed by Prof. Polina Stepensky, HMO’s world-renowned pediatric hemato-oncology and BMT specialist. Her team will be composed of physicians specializing in pediatric oncology to provide the highest level of care to its underage patients.

Helmsley Trustee Sandor Frankel said, “The Helmsley Charitable Trust is proud to support and advance this important project at HMO. The new expanded unit will enable Hadassah to provide life-saving treatments to many more pediatric oncology patients every year.”

The Helmsley Charitable Trust has donated over $240M to various projects and organizations in Israel with the aim of improving healthcare infrastructure and services throughout the country.

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With 300,000 members, associates and supporters Hadassah brings Jewish women together to effect change and advocate on critical issues such as medical care and research and women's empowerment. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization's two hospitals, the world-renowned trauma center and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah supports the delivery of exemplary patient care to over a million people every year. HMO serves without regard to race, religion or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination in 2005 for building “bridges to peace” through equality in medical treatment. For more information, visit my.hadassah.org.