Eran Almog, son of Doron and Didi Almog, lost his battle with Castleman’s disease in 2007 at the age of 23. Without ever speaking a word, Eran left a profound legacy that would spawn societal change and alter the lives of infants, children and adults with disabilities across Israel and around the world.
Eran, named for his uncle who was left to bleed to death on the battlefield during the Yom Kippur War, was born with high-level autism and severe developmental disabilities. Eran helped his father, IDF hero Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, understand that the military mantra “never leave a man behind” also highlights the importance of accepting people with disabilities and ensuring that they receive the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
While on their own mission to find proper care for Eran, Doron and Didi Almog fell in love with ADI and helped the organization expand its mission by advocating for the creation of a community where individuals with disabilities could live, learn and play side by side with their non-disabled peers. Years of hard work culminated in the establishment of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, a unique rehabilitative village named in memory of Eran. Located in the heart of the Negev region, ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran is a loving home and family for more than 150 children and young adults with severe disabilities and complex medical conditions, and provides crucial outpatient care to thousands of individuals from Israel’s south, including rehabilitative treatments and therapies, dental care, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and communication and speech therapy.
As ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran began to attract global attention, Doron further expanded its influence by developing programming to advance disability awareness and inclusion beyond the village. After establishing an inclusive preschool at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, where children born with multiple disabilities and their non-disabled peers are integrated during their daily activities, Doron worked with the Ministry of Education to create an experiential education program that would deliver the same positive messages to all Israeli youth. The resulting program, ‘Tikkun Olam,’ became a resounding success, exposing hundreds of thousands of Israeli students of every age to peers with disabilities and imparting the importance of acceptance and inclusion through lectures, workshops and hands-on volunteering opportunities.
A force for the ultimate good, ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran continues to expand. Upon completion of its Neuro-Orthopedic Rehabilitative Hospital, a state-of-the-art rehabilitative hospital that will increase the number of Israel’s rehabilitative hospital beds dramatically and bring quality care to the residents of the south, ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran will begin the construction of Merhavei Daniel, a 500-family township adjacent to the village that will integrate residents with disabilities as part of the communal fabric.
Eran Almog left the ultimate legacy, as his very name has become synonymous with disability care, inclusion and equity. Doron’s love for Eran has fueled his quest to deepen public awareness about the plight of society’s most vulnerable citizens, those who are unable to speak for themselves and fight for their own rights. Through Eran, our ADI residents have received the additional love and support required to reach their greatest potentials and an entire generation has come to understand that caring for those with severe disabilities is humanity’s greatest test and the true measure of a society of excellence.
YOUR Legacy of Caring: Remembering ADI in your will or bequest will create a lasting impact by assisting in the ongoing rehabilitation and advancement of ADI’s residents with severe disabilities.
