Yoni* is a playful three-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. Much of the time, his body is bent, his legs are crossed, and his arms are flexed. The only time Yoni can exercise control over his body is  during hydrotherapy sessions at Beit Issie Shapiro. 

Yoni was making remarkable progress, until Coronavirus shut down Beit Issie Shapiro and the hydrotherapy pools. Once quarantine was lifted, he was excited to be back in the pool but it was immediately apparent that his condition had greatly deteriorated. He could hardly move onto his back to float or control his breathing in the water. To overcome this serious regression, Yoni will need extensive respiratory, muscular, and general rehabilitation in order to improve.

Yoni’s story is one of many that illustrate the devastating effect the Coronavirus quarantine has had on children with disabilities at Beit Issie Shapiro. The loss of routine and in-person treatment has created developmental setbacks and stress on children with disabilities and their families.