| I know I’ve been quiet here since last August. The truth is simple. Recovery from cancer—and the osteoporosis that came with it—has taken more out of me than I expected. Progress is slow. The days move quickly, but my energy doesn’t always keep up. I’ve mentioned on the podcast that I’ve rediscovered the joy of operating my IC-7300 on FT8 and chasing DX. That alone has been a gift. It may even lead to bigger antennas this year—maybe finally a hex beam. At the same time, like many of us here in Israel, I’ve spent too many hours watching events unfold on YouTube as Iranian missiles fall on us, and we are engaged in a seven front war. I’ll write more about that another time. Today, I want to talk about something else. Something personal—something important. |  AI generated image of a phage attacking bacteria |
Karen’s Fight
My XYL Karen has been dealing with a bacterial infection in her hip—an infection that goes back more than 50 years to a hospital stay in Denver.
It stayed dormant for decades.
Then, just after my own hospitalization, it came back.
Within days, she was in the emergency room, septic, fighting for her life. The doctors used everything they had—multiple surgeries, strong antibiotics, intensive care—to bring her back.
She survived. But the infection didn’t go away.
Today, she lives on continuous antibiotics—first IV, now daily oral medication—just to keep the bacteria under control.
And that’s the problem.
The Bigger Picture
According to the World Health Organization and reported in The Lancet, more than 1.5 million people die each year directly from antibiotic-resistant infections, and nearly 5 million deaths are associated with them.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now.
I saw it myself visiting the orthopedic ward during Karen’s hospitalization—room after room of patients who went in for routine procedures and came out with infections that no longer respond to antibiotics.
Antibiotics are losing the fight.
What Are Phages?
Before antibiotics, there was another way to fight bacteria: phage therapy.
Phages are viruses that specifically attack and destroy bacteria. They don’t harm human cells. They hunt bacteria.
They were discovered over 100 years ago and used successfully in parts of Europe. But once antibiotics like penicillin came along, phage therapy was largely abandoned.
Now, with antibiotic resistance rising, phages are coming back.
But there’s a problem: making safe, clinical-grade phages is complex. The knowledge is limited. The tools are expensive.
The Work Being Done in Israel
At Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Professor Ran Nir-Paz and Professor Ronen Hazan are working to bring phage therapy into real clinical use.
They are not theorizing. They are treating patients—people who have no other options left.
Current programs show that when phage therapy is combined with antibiotics, patients who failed all other treatments see success rates of roughly 70–80%.
But today, phage therapy is still limited to compassionate use—essentially, last resort medicine.
Karen may be one of those patients.
The Missing Piece
Professor Nir-Paz can no longer rely on outside sources for phages.
He has to produce them himself—safely, cleanly, and at clinical grade.
To do that, his lab needs an AKTA purification system.
This machine is what turns raw biological material into something safe enough to put into a human body.
Without it, progress slows. Treatments are delayed. Patients wait.
The cost is about $50,000.
We are close. Friends and family have helped. There is even a donor matching contributions.
But we’re not there yet.
Why I’m Asking
I’m not comfortable asking for help—especially when it feels personal.
But this is bigger than Karen.
This is about building capability here in Israel that can help:
Research done here will be shared worldwide. That’s how medicine moves forward.
And this machine is a key step.
How You Can Help
If you’re able, I’m asking you to contribute.
Donations are tax-deductible through JGive or directly to Hadassah.
Every contribution is matched.
And every contribution helps move this work forward—faster.
My XYL Karen has been dealing with a bacterial infection in her hip—an infection that goes back more than 50 years to a hospital stay in Denver.
It stayed dormant for decades.
Then, just after my own hospitalization, it came back.
Within days, she was in the emergency room, septic, fighting for her life. The doctors used everything they had—multiple surgeries, strong antibiotics, intensive care—to bring her back.
She survived. But the infection didn’t go away.
Today, she lives on continuous antibiotics—first IV, now daily oral medication—just to keep the bacteria under control.
And that’s the problem.
The Bigger Picture
According to the World Health Organization and reported in The Lancet, more than 1.5 million people die each year directly from antibiotic-resistant infections, and nearly 5 million deaths are associated with them.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now.
I saw it myself visiting the orthopedic ward during Karen’s hospitalization—room after room of patients who went in for routine procedures and came out with infections that no longer respond to antibiotics.
Antibiotics are losing the fight.
What Are Phages?
Before antibiotics, there was another way to fight bacteria: phage therapy.
Phages are viruses that specifically attack and destroy bacteria. They don’t harm human cells. They hunt bacteria.
They were discovered over 100 years ago and used successfully in parts of Europe. But once antibiotics like penicillin came along, phage therapy was largely abandoned.
Now, with antibiotic resistance rising, phages are coming back.
But there’s a problem: making safe, clinical-grade phages is complex. The knowledge is limited. The tools are expensive.
The Work Being Done in Israel
At Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Professor Ran Nir-Paz and Professor Ronen Hazan are working to bring phage therapy into real clinical use.
They are not theorizing. They are treating patients—people who have no other options left.
Current programs show that when phage therapy is combined with antibiotics, patients who failed all other treatments see success rates of roughly 70–80%.
But today, phage therapy is still limited to compassionate use—essentially, last resort medicine.
Karen may be one of those patients.
The Missing Piece
Professor Nir-Paz can no longer rely on outside sources for phages.
He has to produce them himself—safely, cleanly, and at clinical grade.
To do that, his lab needs an AKTA purification system.
This machine is what turns raw biological material into something safe enough to put into a human body.
Without it, progress slows. Treatments are delayed. Patients wait.
The cost is about $50,000.
We are close. Friends and family have helped. There is even a donor matching contributions.
But we’re not there yet.
Why I’m Asking
I’m not comfortable asking for help—especially when it feels personal.
But this is bigger than Karen.
This is about building capability here in Israel that can help:
- Patients with antibiotic-resistant infections
- Transplant recipients
- The elderly
- Anyone facing bacteria that no longer respond to treatment
Research done here will be shared worldwide. That’s how medicine moves forward.
And this machine is a key step.
How You Can Help
If you’re able, I’m asking you to contribute.
Donations are tax-deductible through JGive or directly to Hadassah.
Every contribution is matched.
And every contribution helps move this work forward—faster.
I hope to share good news in the future—for Karen, and for many others.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being part of my community.
73, Eric 4Z1UG
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being part of my community.
73, Eric 4Z1UG
There are two ways to donate to this project. JGive takes credit card transactions; larger gifts through a direct wire transfer to Hadassah Medical Center. Donations are tax deductable. An American Tax 501(c)3 receipt will be sent to you.
| JGive for Credit Cards JGive created a special page for our project. This is the link to the JGive page for credit card donations: https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-targets/165811 If the donation is made through the JGive page, there is no need to specify the purpose | Direct deposit to Hadassah Medical Center Bank account Details for American Tax 501 (c) 3 receipt: Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of Amri Bank Leumi 10 Branch no. 800 Account no. 43123/55 SWIFT Code / BIC : LUMIILITXXX IBAN no. IL65010800000000431235 Donations made via bank transfer, please make sure to add the following comment: “For the AKTA machine – Lab for Professor Nir-Paz.” A receipt will be issued based on the bank account used for the transfer. |
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