On Sunday February 25th, I connected on an international flight from Dallas to Israel.  Milan, Italy was the city where our flight connected. As we passed through the airport, we were greeted by five people wearing hazmat suits and checking the temperatures of every person passing through.  

On Tuesday, February 27th, I received my 8th stem cell infusion as part of my MS treatment program at Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Jerusalem, operated by Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA).  

HMO Sr. Neurologist Dr. Dimitrios Karussis, whose revolutionary stem cell therapy has been my treatment protocol,  has been my beacon of hope. He gave me back my life.  

We were back in Dallas by Thursday, February 29th.  We arrived within a week of Italy closing the Milan airport.  I was treated two weeks before Israel required a 2-week quarantine period for anyone traveling into the country.  

I returned to Dallas just two weeks before my son Zach’s wedding. Until this treatment, my MS symptoms had gotten so bad, I was unable to walk through my house, even with a walker.  When I returned, I was able to walk again on the treadmill for 5 minutes. That was a gift that HMO made possible. 

The Talmud says that if you save one life, that you save the world. HMO saved my life, and gave me joy I could never have had without their help.  As I danced with my son at his wedding recently, I cried.  I wished that every person who has ever made a donation to Hadassah Medical Organization could know the difference you are making in the lives of people like myself.

This Passover, my husband David and I had our Seder at home with just the two of us.  We added to the traditional prayers two additional ones.  First, we pray for your health at this difficult time in our country and the world.  The second will be the Mi Shebeirach, the traditional Jewish prayer of healing.  

I’ve experienced the renewal of body and spirit. I now hope to make my life a blessing by volunteering for Hadassah and volunteering at Dallas Children’s Hospital to give their young patients a reason to smile and to hope.

Thank you, Hadassah for everything you’ve done for me personally, and for the healing you do every day for the land and people of Israel. 

Watch MS patient Malia Litman dance at her son’s wedding

Learn how MS patient Malia Litman got her life back

Learn more about Hadassah Medical Organization

Learn more about Dr. Dimitrios Karussis and his revolutionary stem cell treatment

CBS/Dallas News coverage of Malia Litman’s MS treatment

Follow us here and subscribe here for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.

Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington here.

Author(s)

  • Malia Litman is a Registered Nurse. She taught Business Law at the University of Oklahoma, and was a Senior Litigation Partner at Thompson & Knight in Dallas. After 12 years of practicing law, Malia retired to devote herself to raising three young children. Malia's kids include a son who is a PhD. Organic Chemist, and two daughters, an Energy Trader in Houston, and her youngest daughter is currently in medical school. Malia has written three books and has been a contributor to Huffington Post.   Malia received national attention as a result of the FOIA case she filed demanding documents which revealed corruption within the Secret Service. No other investigative journalist uncovered the voluminous records which verified the extent of the corruption and perverse behavior of members of the Secret Service.   Malia was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999. She has received revolutionary stem cell treatment at Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Israel. For the first time since being diagnosed over two decades ago, Malia began to realize significant improvement in her symptoms. HMO Sr. Neurologist Dr. Dimitrios Karussis, Malia's doctor, has used this same treatment very effectively on ALS patients. Malia gratefully appears around the country to speak on behalf of Hadassah and the revolutionary stem cell treatment being provided there. Malia is proud to be counted as a patient of Hadassah Medical Organization, which uses medicine as a “bridge to peace,” offering ground-breaking medical care to patients no matter their nationality, race or religion.