"When I was in labor, my doula told me contractions are only one minute apart. And I told myself, ‘I can handle anything for one minute at a time, I’m a tough Russian chick.’ I was so inspired by the experience I became a doula. The most important role for me as a doula is to support the mother. I’m there to support the women and let them know they have choices. The beauty is once the child is born, you feel so relieved and that’s life! The baby and the body know what to do, they really do! It’s such a miracle and we take it for granted. Life is not easy, it's a struggle but then you are put in your mother’s arms and your mother says, “I am here for you for all the ups and downs.”
“No way, my family, my nephew..terrorism, no way. We are not in the news, we are private people. It doesn’t make sense! Gilad, our Gilad, it’s too crazy for me.
I like to be behind the scenes. I very much like my privacy. Since this happened, I’ve been on a speaking tour and spoke in front of congress to represent my family. I have this patch on my eye, I’m in between surgeries and doctor’s appointments. This is upsetting and stressful, but I always say to myself, 'Leehy, it’s not you it’s about Gilad'. Now I’m on a mission. This is my purpose.
On Friday morning, I woke up, I read the news (about the kidnapping of 3 unnamed boys) and I had this bad feeling. I really did! I jumped from my bed, I called my mom. Usually they call me before Shabbat, but I called and said “Mama, I read the news” she gave the phone to my father, she couldn’t talk. He said 'Leehy, it’s Gilad'. I started shaking and I’m still shaking inside now. I started screaming, I hung up the phone in a second. They were worried about me and I was worried about them. I called a friend I knew in Calabasas, I said, “ They took Gilad, they kidnapped Gilad. This is a bad bad dream, I have to wake up.” No way. Not Gilad. You always read about others, you never think it’s going to hit you.
You don’t have to go be a hero, you just need to pay attention, and that was Gilad. He was a leader. One day on his way to school, he crossed the street and saw a lady in a car that didn’t stop when she was supposed to and then an approaching truck. They were going to hit each other. He couldn’t just scream, the truck driver wouldn’t hear it, so he jumped on the truck and he banged on his window for him to stop. He was very very brave. The lady in the car was hurt just a little, Gilad called the ambulance, called the police and went to school like nothing happened. This is how humble he was.
This lady came to the school and said “I want to know who saved my life and thank him” and the school didn’t know anything about it. After inquiring, they found out it was Gilad. And this lady came to the shiva for Gilad (mourning period for 7 days after a death when people visit the mourners) and told my brother (Gilad’s father) the story. How brave he was to jump on the truck and how he didn’t even tell his friends...nothing.”
