Anyone in this country familiar with prescription drugs and Medicare knows that there is a gap between the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic coverage threshold. This gap has been dubbed the "donut hole" and for many people it has become a serious problem.

In Israel, there may be no "donut hole" but there is definitely a gap between what National Insurance puts into its medication "basket" (drugs that are covered by insurance) and what many people actually need to maintain their health or even survive their illness. Our friends at The Forgotten People Fund in Netanya are dedicated to helping that city’s significant Ethiopian population in many different ways and a recent exchange with them alerted us to the needs of four individuals who require medications that they could not otherwise afford.

One young woman suffers from a disfiguring skin disease which has turned her into a hermit, depressed and withdrawn. With elderly parents and the family on welfare, the medication that she needs to help with her condition is beyond her reach. Another, a diabetic, has had both of his legs amputated due to the disease, and requires special liquid nutrition to help him regain some strength and stamina. The cost is such that the family can buy only one can per day while he requires more than five. He lays in bed, literally wasting away while his family looks on in frustration.

In each of these cases and two additional ones, the Good People Fund has sent funds that will provide four people with more than a 7 months’ supply of their medication and perhaps also, some hope.