"Children, Mother Sick of Cancer" Israel today

Dalia Yechiel, who fell ill with breast cancer 5 years ago, will host a special live show on how to tell children about a parent who has a disease • The lecture as part of the "Grouphag" project by Yuval Sharaf

• Yechiel and her daughter.

  An important lesson in parenting

  Photography: 

  Courtesy of the photographer

Shortly before Dalia Yechiel, a mother of three, a social worker, and a parent coach in a mother-coach approach was 39, she discovered she had breast cancer.

When she thought to herself about telling her children, it was clear to her that she was not going to hide the cancer from them, and she began to prepare well for the fateful conversation.

"My eldest daughter Shira was then in third grade, Roni was in first grade and Itamar was three years old. I consulted a social worker in the oncology department in Ichilov, talked to a psychologist and read online, so I understood what was important for me to emphasize in the conversation," she says.

"Because I had children of different ages, my husband Gur and I decided to split the conversation. For the girls we had a conversation together and Itamar separately. With him it was 10 seconds in which I told him I had a lump in my tit and needed to be treated. He said 'I want to see,' The shirt, get up and go, "says Yechiel with a smile.

"On the one hand, I was afraid of the conversation with the girls and on the other hand I really wanted her to come. It was important for me to come when I know what the plan is and not to come up with abstract things. I think our job is to create uncertainty in a time of uncertainty. Treatments - I told you. "

What was the girls' initial reaction?

"Shira, who was 8 and a half years old, started to really cry. She was already at an age that understands what is meant by the word cancer. In the first stage I gave legitimacy to the pain and crying and told her that is what I felt in the first days, I allowed her to let go. Cancer as it was for those we know and live after. It was important to me to give a horizon of hope and optimism, I warned that children could tell them things that would scare them and that they could tell whoever they wanted because it was no secret. Ronny asked me lots of questions like, 'You will have baldness ? '

"She also asked if I would not feel again. As soon as she finished asking, she put her head down and fell asleep. The feeling was that she could not contain any more and that her body had turned off the whole system."

Social start-up

Yechiel is part of an art team at the "GroupHug" project, a new start-up that provides advanced online counseling of parenting experts, with the aim of helping parents deal with parenting challenges from the first stage of pregnancy and preparation for childbirth to adolescents.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) she will go up on a special live and explain how to tell children about one parent's illness and how to maintain a routine during an unconventional period, which is relevant today to many people more than ever.

"Live I will give tools on how to maintain the discourse, the mental health of all children," she explains.

"I would not choose it. These are the cards that were handed out to me, now we will see how best to play with them. It is important for me to teach optimism, gratitude, the half full glass. The children will go with these things later in life, I want children to have practical tools to deal With life. "

A group hug in a time of uncertainty

The start-up was co-initiated by actress Yuval Sharaf, Roni Fiblovitz and Udi Dagan at the beginning of the Corona period to provide a solution for parents who need help in the areas of parenting.

"Two months ago, we came out with a new format within the site, after seeing that many parents want to enrich their knowledge and prevent future problems, but not everyone can afford it financially," Yuval Sharaf tells Israel Today.

"We thought about how to make the site accessible and made a group format. Imagine a gym that has classes in the mornings and evenings, any meeting with different content, you can come with pajamas and get significant knowledge for 35 shekels, and there is room for questions and conversation."

The site has an arena of experts who provide an online solution at prices of NIS 250 to NIS 300 for an individual meeting alongside discounted group meetings.

"Already in August, we prepared the lecture on dealing with cancer, before the death of Mirit Harari," Sharaf answers the question of whether there is a connection in the exact timing.

"Mirit taught us to be better, more honest people and her memory will accompany us for many years. For the live that will be held on Wednesday with Dalia Yechiel, we made an exciting collaboration with 'Halasartan', an association I am very close to following my agent Zohar Jacobson who founded the Tal Center. "Halasartan is actually a center that supports young people up to the age of 45 who have been or have had cancer. We make this lecture accessible free of charge to everyone in the community, and registration is done through the website." 

To register for the live click here