For Naomi Shoshani, joining ALYN changed everything she thought she knew about nursing, healing, and the power of helping families rebuild their lives.
Naomi Shoshani knew she would become a nurse long before she fully understood what the profession meant. At five years old, she dressed up as a nurse every Purim. At 18, she began her nursing career. For 17 years, she worked in pediatric oncology and eventually served as the department's Head Nurse.
"Over the years, I heard the same phrases again and again: 'You're angels,' 'You're doing holy work.' And honestly, for many years I believed that caring for children with cancer was the work of angels. Then I came to ALYN and discovered another place where extraordinary people help children and families rebuild their lives."
According to Naomi, pediatric oncology, despite its immense challenges, often follows a relatively clear path. There are difficult moments, but many children recover, grow up, and move forward with their lives.
"At ALYN, the story is different. A family can be living a completely ordinary life, and in a single moment everything changes. An accident, a traumatic brain injury, severe burns, an amputation, or a complex illness. Suddenly, everything they once took for granted looks different. Families are forced to navigate a reality they never chose."
It is precisely at that point, she explains, that the role of nurses takes on a profound meaning.
"We are beside children and families 24 hours a day. Sometimes the moment a parent truly understands that their child's life, and the life of the entire family, has changed happens during a simple conversation at the bedside or while receiving guidance from a nurse. You can almost see the realization settle in. In those moments, our words, our presence, a look, or a hand placed gently on a shoulder can have enormous power. These are the moments families remember for years."
Helping Parents Become Parents Again
One story, in particular, left a lasting impression on Naomi. It involved a six-month-old baby girl born prematurely with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia who required prolonged ventilation. In the hospital where she was treated after birth, she was connected to a ventilator and numerous medical devices. Her parents could rarely hold her, comfort her, or even cuddle her after painful procedures.
"In situations like these, parents often feel helpless," Naomi explains. "When a baby is ventilated and unable to cry or make sounds, it's difficult to know what they're feeling, what hurts, or what they need. The natural bond between parent and child is disrupted, not because there is any lack of love, but because parents simply don't have the opportunity to care for their child the way they long to."
When the baby arrived at ALYN's Respiratory Rehabilitation Department, something changed.
"For the first time, her parents were truly able to touch her."
Her father later shared that every time his daughter underwent a difficult procedure, whether performed by the medical team or eventually by him as part of her care, he would immediately hold her afterward.
"He told us it was the first time he felt he could truly be a father," Naomi recalls. "He said that after every moment of pain came a hug, touch, and closeness. He didn't know whether she experienced it the same way, but for him it was a way of protecting her, comforting her, and simply being there for her."
For Naomi, this is the heart of ALYN's mission.
"We don't only care for children. We walk alongside families and help parents regain the confidence and ability to be active participants in their child's care. A significant part of our role is helping parents become experts in their own child, teaching them how to observe, assess, understand, and care for them. We guide, support, and empower them, while reminding them that they don't have to carry this burden alone."
As Director of Nursing, Naomi believes the same principle applies to her staff.
"When nurses work in an environment where they are heard, appreciated, and given opportunities to grow, they are able to give so much more of themselves. Every conversation, every lesson, every interaction with a family creates a ripple effect. Sometimes small, sometimes profound, but one that continues long after a family leaves the hospital."
At the end of our conversation, Naomi smiles.
"If you ask me today where the angels work, they work here, at ALYN. Not because they perform miracles, but because every day they choose to stand beside children and families during the moments when they need someone most."
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