At the height of the hot Israeli summer, at the point when all parents start counting down the days until school begins, and just before our Noga was meant to start first grade, we received the devastating diagnosis that her cancer had returned. We honestly thought we had already triumphed and that the difficult period was behind us; that we had won. We were blindsided and stunned; in no way did we see this blow coming. Noga’s sole option now is to get treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Hospital in New York. This is her only chance.

Cancer hit Noga for the first time 3 and a half years ago, when she was only 3 and a half years old. From the very beginning, it was clear that she had advanced stage neuroblastoma-type cancer. Originally found in Noga\\\\'s stomach, the cancer metastasized in her small body. 

For almost two years, Noga was hospitalized. She underwent complex surgery, difficult chemotherapy treatments, self-bone marrow transplantation, biological treatments, and radiation. It was excruciating, but the treatments seemed to work and we felt victorious. There was no trace left of the cancer and we were discharged from the hospital with hopes of returning to a boring, everyday routine. 

But Noga’s cancer had other plans. It returned, stronger and more violent, and Noga no longer has any sort of normal routine.

Our princess Noga is already 7 years old, and it\\\\'s heartbreaking to think that for half of her life, she\\\\'s been living and breathing in the hospital. For the past six months, since the cancer returned, Noga has been undergoing intensely difficult and aggressive treatments, but the cancer is resilient and insists on staying put. Time is working against us and treatment possibilities are diminishing. But now there is hope! There is an experimental and unique treatment that can save her at MSK Hospital in New York. This is her only chance! But for that to happen, we need your help.

We pray that now is Noga’s time to begin to live, to grow and to enjoy life. Now is the time to make room for hope and light and defeat cancer once and for all!  Meanwhile Noga, with her mischievous smile and smart eyes, dreams of simple things "normal" girls do, like going to the pool and playing with friends. She just wants to be an ordinary girl. We believe in Noga and her incredible strength; we believe in us and we believe in you. It\\\\'s Noga’s time to blossom! And we will do everything in our power to make it happen. Please, we need your help to get to New York and give Noga a chance!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Dana, Tomer, Roni, Noga and the whole Rafael family.

#Her_time_to_blossom🌸