For These
Twin Sisters,
Making a Difference
Through Mitzvah Projects
Is in Their Blood
Rachel Kurland
ISRAEL JE Staff
Rachel Kurland
BAR-BAT MITZVAH
FAMILY TOURS
Logo designed by ©studio Kalderon
Small Groups - Personal Attention
Fine Hotels - Unique Itineraries
TOVA GILEAD, INC.

www.tovagilead.com 1-800-244-TOVA
It’s not just an airline. It’s Israel.

16 OCTOBER 29, 2015
Remi (left) and Julia Rosenthal
recently celebrated their B’not Mitzvah.

FROM THE OUTSIDE, TWIN SISTERS REMI AND JULIA
Rosenthal are just like any other 12-year-old girls.

They like to play piano. They read Harry Potter, Percy Jackson
and John Green novels. They vent to each other. They like riding
bikes, but not since Remi accidentally fell off one and broke her arm.

From the outside, you would never know that Julia is a can-
cer survivor.

Julia was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor at about 20 months old.

She received five blood transfusions in four days, among a long
list of other treatments. The diagnosis and medical care was swift
but successful.

Now cancer-free, Julia, along with Remi, decided to give back to
those who saved her life.

For their B’not Mitzvah project, the twins hosted a blood drive
at their congregation, Tiferet Bet Israel, in Blue Bell.

After five hours, 45 pints of blood were collected, according to
Beth Toll, external communications manager for the American Red
Cross Penn-Jersey Blood Service Region.

In just one pint of donated blood are four types of transfusable
products: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Usually
two or three of these are produced from that single pint, so each do-
nation can help save up to three lives, according to the American
Red Cross.

Their parshah is the story of Noah and the animals that marched
two by two. Likewise, the sisters have spent their lives side-by-side.

The 12-year-olds celebrated their B’not Mitzvah on Oct. 17. They
said they were looking forward to becoming Jewish adults so they
can make their own decisions, connect more to Judaism and do
more for the community.

They were also looking forward to their music-themed post-
Haftarah-reading party. Rather than the traditional giveaway gift
SIMCHAS JEWISHEXPONENT.COM




of a sweatshirt, they upgraded to a
long-sleeve T-shirt, which was a pretty
big deal.

But their B’not Mitzvah is more
than just a party, and they recognize
that, especially through their mitzvah
project. While planning the blood drive, Ju-
lia thought of the kids and adults out
there like her and how the blood do-
nations saved her life.

“We thought it was a really nice
way to give back to the people that
helped by helping other people who
needed those transfusions,” Remi
said. “Julia’s my twin sister and she
means so much to me since I’ve been
with her my entire life. It’s really nice
that I’m potentially helping other
people who were in the same situa-
tion I was in, to have a family member survive bad diseases and
not have to face tragedy.

“It’s really sweet that I don’t know who these people are but I’m
still saving their life with the blood.”
Julia remembers the physical therapy, but not much else. Remi recalls
three stuffed animals their grandmother gave them: a whale, dolphin
and seal. It might not seem like much, but she said it represented some-
thing that could have been very bad but turned out very good.

She still has the dolphin.

The twins don’t remember much
about Julia’s illness, but their parents,
Pamela and Steve, certainly do.

Pamela recalled how quickly
things turned.

During the summer, Julia was ex-
periencing fevers, loss of appetite and
lack of sleep. They brought her to doc-
tors, but one night while the family
was staying at Steve’s parents’ house
down the shore, they took the 18-
month-old to the Children’s Hospital
of Philadelphia.

“We went to CHOP one night —
and never went home for 10 days,”
Pamela said.

After X-rays, a lot of questions and
spending the night in triage, an oncol-
ogist told them the news at 3:30 a.m.

“You never see yourself in that position,” she said. “It hit fast and
heavy; you regroup because you have to.”
Julia started chemotherapy the next day and received those five
blood transfusions over the course of four days. It was an immediate,
heavy-duty medical intervention for stage three Wilms’ tumor.

The tumor essentially destroyed her right kidney. Wilms’ tumor
See Twins, Page 18
Name: Six Points Restaurant Group
Width: 7"
Depth: 4.75"
Color: Black
Comment: simchas-10/29- 1/2pg
High Standards. Phenomenal Service. Enviable Events.

REDEFINING THE ART OF KOSHER CATERING
550 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-257-3050 • info@sixpointskosher.com
www.sixpointskosher.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
SIMCHAS SIX
POINTS KOSHER
EVENTS OCTOBER 29, 2015
17