Hadassah Miracle Patient Liana Alvarez at Nov 5 Evanston Event

(CHICAGO, IL – October 27, 2017) – Hadassah Hospital Trauma Unit “miracle patient” Liana Alvarez, who made a complete recovery after surviving a horrifying 2015 traffic accident in Jerusalem in which a tour bus ran over her, pinning her under its wheels, headlines Hadassah Chicago-North Shore’s “Miracles of Hadassah” program on Sunday, November 5th at 6:30 PM at Evanston Golf Club. Past National President Nancy Falchuk, whose leadership guided Hadassah, Hadassah International and Hadassah Medical Organization to new levels of worldwide recognition, will also be a featured speaker. Fran Gerwitz is chairperson of the event which supports Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Jerusalem and its research, treatment, and technology. Evanston Golf Club is located at 4401 Dempster Street, Skokie, IL. Tickets to the evening dessert reception, which is open to the public, are available by calling 847-205-1900 or via email at cns@hadassah.org.

Born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union to a secular Jewish family, Liana Alvarez came to the United States at age 18. During a Jewish Women’s Renaissance Trip Project trip to Israel in the spring of 2015, she was walking down a steep road when a bus came careening backwards down the road. Alvarez ended up pinned under a wheel until the fire department jacked up the bus to free her. She was rushed to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem for what would be a life-saving treatment. Alvarez was “put back together like the pieces of a puzzle” by Hadassah doctors after sustaining traumatic and life-threatening injuries. Today, Alvarez is completely recovered and running marathons.

Nancy Falchuk was 24th National President of Hadassah from 2007-2011. She served as President of Hadassah International from 2000-2004. In 1995, Falchuk was a founding member of the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) Board of Directors, serving until 2008. As President of Hadassah International, Falchuk traveled to Europe, South American and Israel, raising funds for HMO as well as promoting HMO’s work and creating medical cooperative relationships for Hadassah with other major academic centers. Trained as a nurse, Falchuk created the first Hadassah Nursing Institutes as well as the Hadassah Nursing Educational Missions.

“Miracles of Hadassah” chairperson Fran Gerwitz states, “Liana Alvarez’s miraculous story of life-threatening injury and complete recovery showcases HMO’s outstanding medical expertise and cutting-edge technology which is available to anyone, regardless of race, religion or nationality.” Hadassah Chicago-North Shore President Luisa Ellenbogen enthuses, “Hadassah’s founding mission was to provide excellent health care to the people of Israel and the world. We are grateful for Liana’s complete recovery and that today, Liana is thriving and she and her husband are raising a beautiful family in Brooklyn.”

Hadassah Chicago-North Shore (CNS), founded in 1928 and representing 11,000 members in the Greater Chicagoland Area, is located at Joseph & Mae Gray Hadassah House, Suite #800, Northbrook, IL 60062; Telephone: 847.205-1900; email: Chicago-northshore@hadassah.org; or visit http://www.hadassah.org/regions/chicago-north-shore/

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With 330,000 members, associates and supporters Hadassah brings Jewish women together to effect change and advocate on critical issues such as medical care and research and women's empowerment. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization's two hospitals, the world-renowned trauma center and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah supports the delivery of exemplary patient care to over a million people every year. HMO serves without regard to race, religion or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination in 2005 for building “bridges to peace” through equality in medical treatment. For more information, visit www.hadassah.org.