New York, NY – Ayelet Galena, the Jewish two year old Upper West Side girl whose rare bone marrow disorder sparked a major effort to find a compatible donor, died early this morning at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, just five months after receiving a bone marrow transplant.
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Baby Ayelet was born prematurely weighing just 2.9 ounces and suffering from a compromised immune system. She was diagnosed with dyskeratosis cogenita, a rare genetic disorder at age one and the bone marrow drive led by her parents, Seth Galena and Hindy Poupko, attracted the attention of both the Jewish community and the secular media.
Pictures on the Ayelet Galena Facebook fan page show Mayor Menashe Miller of Lakewood participating in a June bone marrow drive and tweets by secular music stars Rihanna, Leighton Meester, NeRdArMy and football legend Michael Strahan asking people to join the bone marrow registry in order to help Ayelet. The Galena family’s plight also caught the attention of actress Eva Mendes, rock band Linkin Park and rappers 50 Cent and Pharrell.
Ayelet’s story touched the hearts of many and the self proclaimed “Ayelet Nation” with thousands of members followed her progress closely online. Bone marrow drives to find a match for Ayelet resulted in matches for a dozen other transplant patients according to reports on Canadian Jewish News.
Sooo many tragedies lately, I’m iy”h going to work on my bein odom lacheveiro problems in zchus of which we shall hear less (or rather no more) tragedies.
Sad. BDE.
Ayelet did more to unite us as yidden in her super short life,,,, than most of us can say for ourselves. We should learn her lesson. Yidden wake up!! It doesnt matter the color of your pantyhose,,,, We all need to just have ahavas chinam. Ayelet, I wondered at the fact that I never met you, but still felt so strongly about how much I love you…. You brought out ahavas yisroel in Yidden of every single walk of life. Now go take your zechusim, and bring them to Hashem to demand that we have Moshiach NOW!!
BDE — a most amazing, adorable little girl…I’m sitting with tears in my eyes looking at this Holy Neshama….Ayelet was loved by all. She touched so many hearts. May her parents and family only know of good tidings and May Hashem send them strength to bear this tragedy!!!
Baruch Dayan haEmet.
In her z’chut, may others benefit from those folks who joined the bone marrow registry on her behalf.
Baruch dayan ha’emes! What a loss!
Impossible to understand their pain. May the family have only simchos from now on. Baruch Dayan Emes.
Nebech, breaks your heart.
It’s amazing what can be accomplished thru one child’s illness ZY”A VK”Y.
Bde.. Tears. A beautiful child that inspired so many in her short life!
Shamayim must have needed more cute babies. BDE.
Maybe the good to come out of this terrible news is that it raised awareness of the need for people to be on the bone marrow registry. I have been on the register for over 20 years. PLEASE REGISTER…it could save the life of a precious baby like Ayelet A”H.
Baruch Dayan haEmes
Breaks my heart.
Can’t begin to imagine what the family is going through.
Since there was such an outpour of help from people of other faiths, there is going to be a demand from Shomayim that we should also participate in a sincere way to help Non-Yidden in need. Every body is Tzelem Elokim.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes. So sad!!
Funeral / Shiva Info
The funeral will take place on Wednesday, February 1 at 11am at The Jewish Center, 131 W. 86th St. The burial will take place at Baron Hirsch Cemetary in Staten Island following the service.
Shivah will be observed at the home of Grandma Rita Lourie-Galena at 75 West End Ave.(corner 63rd St.), apartment P28A, from Wednesday afternoon, February 1 through Tuesday morning, February 7.
Minchah: Wednesday – Monday at 5:00pm
Shacharit: Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday at 7:45am; Sunday at 8:30am.
Donations can be made in Ayelet’s memory to:
toflife.org/Public/ContribOnline.aspx
1. Gift of Life-
2. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital- Bone Marrow Transplant Unit https://giving.cincinnatichildrens.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=184