NIS 1.2 million donated for orphans of Lod woman who died from coronavirus

Israelis on Tuesday donated more than NIS 1.2 million ($340,000) to help the 4-year-old twins who were orphaned when their mother Tamar Peretz-Levi died earlier in the day from the coronavirus.

The sum was donated on JGive for the children in less than nine hours, according to the Ynet news site, as fundraisers targeted NIS 1.8 million ($500,000) in a month.

The initiative was put together by residents of Lod and the mayor of the central city, where Peretz-Levi was from.

One of the people behind the fundraising effort, Yossi Davidov, said he was initially skeptical they could meet their goal due to the large number of Israelis who been laid off or put on leave without pay amid the virus outbreak.

“We’re already past the first million. Is there anything like this nation?” he told the website.

Lod Mayor Yair Revivo said the money would go to a foundation that would ensure it is only used for the children of Peretz-Levi, who died early Tuesday aged 49, the youngest person to die so far from the coronavirus in Israel.  She was buried later in the day in Lod.

Her husband Shimon died shortly after the birth of their twins from a heart attack.

“Although we’re broken, we’ll rise up and raise the two of them with all the love in the world,” her niece told Ynet.

התעוררנו הבוקר לטרגדיה הנוראית, בה תאומים-יתומים בני 4 מלוד, נותרו בלי אבא ואמא. חייבים לעזור להם לגדול לתוך מציאות טובה יותר.

אנא, פתחו את הלב והכיס: גיוס המונים של העמותה הרשמית, שתעביר את כל הכסף בלי שום עמלה – ישירות למשפחה.https://t.co/4OoD4dcsOJ pic.twitter.com/wmumj4NcHC

— יאיר רביבו – ראש העיר לוד (@Yair_Revivo) March 31, 2020

According to Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center in central Israel where she was hospitalized, Peretz-Levi had suffered from preexisting medical conditions.

Including Peretz-Levi, 20 people in Israel have died from COVID-19.

As of Tuesday evening, there have been 5,358 confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel, a rise of 663 cases since the previous night.

That included 94 people in serious condition, of whom 76 were attached to ventilators, the ministry said. Another 105 people were in moderate condition, 224 patients had recovered, and the rest had mild symptoms.