InKredible Kids
A podcast with Kosher content geared toward empowering Jewish kids of all ages. We interview kids from around the world and have many interactive segments for all kids to enjoy. While having fun and learning new skills, kids will hear about responsibility, empathy, confidence, and more!
InKredible Kids
Crowning Hashem with Joy: Finding laughter and light while living with Cerebral Palsy
What does it truly mean to face life's challenges with genuine joy? Meet Orly Koenig, a remarkable 10-year-old who transforms her daily struggles with cerebral palsy into opportunities for growth, laughter, and inspiration.
Born two months premature, Orly candidly shares her journey—from her diagnosis and multiple surgeries to her everyday life navigating the world sometimes on foot, sometimes by wheelchair, and often on her beloved electric scooter. With wisdom that defies her years, she reveals her secret to maintaining positivity: "Sometimes you don't feel like a normal kid because it's hard. But in life, things can be hard—you just have to keep pushing through."
Orly's approach to life's obstacles isn't about ignoring difficulties but reframing them through gratitude and purpose.
Perhaps most touching is how Orly's joy becomes contagious. From distributing lollipops during hospital stays to volunteering at the gift shop while still a patient herself, she consistently turns personal hardship into opportunities to brighten others' lives. Her name "Orly," meaning "my light," perfectly captures her essence as someone who illuminates every room she enters.
As we approach Rosh Hashanah, Orly's story reminds us that crowning Hashem as King isn't done through fear or sadness, but through celebration and recognition of blessings. Join us for this heartwarming conversation that will leave you looking at your own challenges with fresh eyes and perhaps, like Orly, finding unexpected joy along the way.
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Hey kids, welcome back to the next episode of the Incredible Kids Podcast. My name is Moritz Ciri and I will be your host. Through this incredible journey, we are going to meet many incredible kids. They are going to share with us their stories, some of them super cool and different like you've never heard before, and some you may say are just ordinary, but all of them incredible. If you have great ideas, email me today at ikidspodcast at gmailcom. And now it's time for Incredible Kids.
Speaker 2:It's time for the joke of the day. Yay, today's joke is brought to you by Shlomo R from Orlando, florida.
Speaker 3:What did the sick parents give the children to eat? Mac and sneeze.
Speaker 2:Hi everybody and welcome back to another exciting episode of Incredible Kids Podcast. Is anyone else wondering how in the world summer has flown by and we are just getting geared up for Rosh Hashanah season? It always just springs up so quickly. This year is no different.
Speaker 2:So as I prepare for Rosh Hashanah and I take a break to speak to you all over here on the podcast, I want to just share something that I learned yesterday from one of my favorite Rebbeim, rabbi Kalish from Waterbury Yeshiva. He said that when we're in the month of Elul, a lot of times we're very hard on ourselves and we think about all the things that we've done wrong as you should right and we forget that it's an exciting time also. Each of us has also accomplished so much good in this last year. We've done so many mitzvos, and he just dreams of the day that one day we'll look forward to El and say, wow, this is a time that we could be happy and joyful because we have so much closest to Hashem. At this month we can't be so nervous and scared and wondering if we're worthy and all of that stuff. We have to remember Hashem is in the field, like you're going to learn in school, in a million different ways, with mashalim, from your teachers and all the you know, like there was once a king. So, yes, the king Hashem, he's here with us now. He's so close to us. It should be a joyful time. So, even though it's serious, even though we're working on doing Teshuvah and all those important things, don't forget the joy of having Hashem right next to you. He's always with you, but now he's literally here, like here, here, here. You don't have to go searching and screeching, he's right here. So it should be a time that we smile, and I love that. He said that and it made me stop and think like, am I taking advantage of that? Am I recognizing how lucky I am that hashem is right next to me? So I just want to give everyone that message and reminder.
Speaker 2:And it's also such an appropriate way to introduce today's episode, because this interview that I conducted with a special guest who you're about to meet, named Orly, is a reminder about how, simcha and joy, if it's on your mind, at the center of your life, if it's a goal of yours, if it's part of your makeup, of who you are, you are gonna take the hardships, the challenges that come for everyone in their life, big and small, and you're just gonna be able to rock them and you're gonna be able to look for the positive in every single situation, despite it being really difficult. Orly's a girl who has a condition that she's going to tell us about and, instead of us listening and saying, oh, that's so hard, you're gonna find yourself smiling and laughing along with Orly and myself. There's a lot of laughter in here and a lot of crazy laughs, and just buckle up and prepare for that. You were warned. I think that joy like this, joy from a girl like Orly, is something that every single one of us can learn from. What a beautiful way to go into the Rosh Hashanah season Saying Hashem, you give me different things and I'm not going to complain about it.
Speaker 2:I'm going to come back to you with joy and things and I'm not going to complain about it. I'm going to come back to you with joy and I'm going to try my best to prevail. That means like, win over those really hard things by being brave and strong and courageous and all that good stuff, and we're going to win this and we're going to be the best Avdei Hashem we could possibly be. So when we're getting ready to crown Hashem King on Rosh Hashanah. We come in with the biggest smile on our face and we're ready to accept whatever Hashem is going to give us and please, hashem, make it be all good, all good. Everything you do is good, but let us recognize the good. That's what we're davening for, and get ready, because this is an awesome episode. We asked our listeners what makes you you. Here's what they had to say Hi, my name is Yonina Schoenfeld, I am 12 years old and you're asking what makes me me is that I love to sing and I compose two songs.
Speaker 3:Hi, my name is Leo Fregan, I'm 11 years old, and what makes me me is my personality, my talent, talent and my muscles and how I treat others. Hi, my name is baro rose and I'm almost six, and what makes me me is my nishama. Hi, my name is dina engelman and I'm 12 years old. What makes me is all my unique qualities like my personality and my talents.
Speaker 2:Thank you, and now straight into the conversation with my dear friend Orly. Now that we're like live, I listen to your podcast.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 3:And you laugh like a.
Speaker 2:Laffy Taffy. What does a Laffy Taffy sound like? I don't even know what that means.
Speaker 3:You laugh. It's just so funny. I laugh from it Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I laugh. Should I keep laughing or should I stop? It doesn't bother you. Yeah, it doesn't bother me. Okay, so you're saying it's like when I laugh, it makes you laugh? Yeah, that's a good thing. Okay, well, orly, welcome to Incredible Kids Podcast. This is so exciting, a long time coming. I wanted to have this interview with you for a while and you wanted it even more probably.
Speaker 3:Yeah, tell us about the first time we met, because I always listen to your podcast 24-6, so I know.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, but tell everybody about when we met on Shabbos at that kiddish remember.
Speaker 3:So yeah, so I was at my aunt's shul. It was pretty embarrassing why I was at my aunt's school. It was pretty embarrassing why I was at my aunt's school and I met Morty the famous celebrity, and we schmoozed for like a half hour. Was it really that long, I don't know, but like 60 minutes.
Speaker 2:That got even longer, I know. I remember that I wasn't sure if I was even going to make it to that Kiddush. And when I got there your mother said and your aunt said they're like oh, moritziri, it's so good you came, because Orly was waiting for you.
Speaker 3:I know, because I really wanted an interview.
Speaker 2:Well, we're here now, so we're so excited, I'm so excited and I'm also like I'm going to have you introduce yourself the way that you want to introduce yourself. But I also want to say that this episode that this interview is going to be a part of is going to be an episode about taking what Hashem gives you, whatever challenges are handed to you, on a silver platter. Here you go, here's your life, right, and all the things that come with it, and how to deal with it with joy, because you, orly, are such a like. I love how you started out, telling me that you like my laugh, like you are joy, right, you just are always smiling. I know from so many different people how special you are. That's what I want to get out of this, but I know I'm going to be surprised with so much more. So first I want you to tell everybody pretend that nobody ever heard of you before, because I know you have a ton of friends.
Speaker 3:So start from the beginning. I know, I know, I do, I do. I have so much friends that I told and they're psyched for me.
Speaker 2:As they should be. They're probably so excited for this episode to come out.
Speaker 3:I know I have some shout outs to give at the end, but yeah, okay, that's a good idea. Yeah, let's wait till the end, but yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's a good idea. Yeah, let's wait till the end, but don't forget them. Okay, so tell us about yourself. Who are you and why are we here today?
Speaker 3:My name is Orly Koenig, I'm 10 years old and I live in Lakewood and I'm by my cousin's house for the interview because they have a better computer.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that, by the way, because you have very fancy microphone, you have very fancy headphones, so for the listener who's listening and they don't know, orly is decked out.
Speaker 3:Right, I made sure that I wore a cute outfit.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's see what you're wearing. It is very cute. I only see the top half of it. You're wearing pigtail braids. I'm going to start from the top. You're wearing pigtail braids. You're wearing a very cute like three-quarter sleeve summer t-shirt. It's still hot outside. What kind of skirt are you wearing? Because that I definitely can't see.
Speaker 3:A jean skirt.
Speaker 2:Oh, I like that. That's very cute. Okay, amazing. So you're 10 years old, you live in Lakewood and tell us about yourself, what kind of school you go to.
Speaker 3:So I go to Center. Center is the perfect one, and we ended up in Center.
Speaker 2:Okay. Do they have like grades or it's just everyone's together? How does it work?
Speaker 3:so I'm in fourth grade, but I'm also as fifth graders okay, which is so nice for me, because it's just nice to understand other fifth graders experiences like there's three fifth graders in my class so I get to see how they react to different things.
Speaker 2:Are they more mature than you?
Speaker 3:I don't know, it's hard to even know the difference. It could depend on the kid. Sometimes it depends really on the kid who is mature than anyone, but we don't really care. Like we're friends, we keep up, we're in touch, we're friends, we love it, you know.
Speaker 2:Totally. Fourth and fifth grade is like basically the same thing, yeah, yeah, when it comes to making friends for sure. Exactly, mm-hmm. Totally. Tell me about your name, because Orly is such a pretty name. Do you know anything about your name? Yeah, it means my light, orly. I love that Okay.
Speaker 3:And when my parents named me, I was in the NICU.
Speaker 2:Wait, what's a NICU? It's like where you're born. Well, not everybody's born there, but in the hospital they have a special section for newborns that need extra care. Yeah, Okay, continue so.
Speaker 3:I was in the NICU, and then my parents, when I was born, they found out that I had cerebral palsy. And if it wasn't for all this hashgachah practice, I wouldn't be sitting here right now.
Speaker 2:Okay, we're going to have to unpack that Like. You just threw a lot of statements out. You mentioned that you were born in a NICU.
Speaker 3:I mean I was sitting there but I wasn't going to like pass away or anything.
Speaker 2:Right. Well, baruch, hashem, hashem wanted you to live. We need you right here, right.
Speaker 3:Well, it's a eugenics, because otherwise I was going to be thrown into an upside down world and maybe I was.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. What do you mean by?
Speaker 3:that I'll tell you about my diagnosis and how my mother got her birth out. It was so.
Speaker 2:OK, I want to hear about that, but let's go back to your name for a second, because you were explaining orally. So you were born in the NICU.
Speaker 3:My light.
Speaker 2:My light.
Speaker 3:My English. Another name that they call me is Ruth, and my parents were going to name me Ruthie.
Speaker 2:Okay, it's a beautiful name.
Speaker 3:I enjoy every second when you laugh. It's so funny. Let's begin.
Speaker 2:I'm so self-conscious now, okay, this never happened to me before I'm crying. Okay, and do you ever laugh so hard that you cry? No?
Speaker 3:Okay, please don't cry.
Speaker 2:No, no, it's a good cry. You shouldn't be worried about me. Okay, so basically, Orly, why light? What does that have to do with anything?
Speaker 3:Because I brought light to the world. I was just an inspiration to people, inspiring. And there were so much good things that happened to me this year and I have to tell you all the good things oh my gosh, we have a lot to talk about.
Speaker 2:How are we going to fit this into our schedule? Okay, you know what I love about that your parents naming you Orly that from the minute you were born, they looked at you as a source of blessing and light. They were like, wow, Hashem gave us a beautiful baby. She has a diagnosis, right, Like you said or they weren't sure yet what it was, but any baby in the NICU is a scary situation and they said your parents obviously are so special that they were like we're going to just thank Hashem for this special light.
Speaker 2:My third girl her name is Leora and it's the opposite of Orly, if you think about it, because it's Leora, my light. It's the same thing, but it's like the opposite. The reason why I named her Leora is because I wanted her to always know that I have a special light. So it's not, it's like two things. It's like you are a light, right, Like you are my light, but then I have a special light. Don't forget how special you are. So, Orly, same thing to you. You have such a beautiful light. Don't forget that. So, even if everyone else knows it, the most important thing is that you know it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So continue, tell us about the diagnosis. I want to start from the beginning.
Speaker 3:So what is cerebral palsy? My mother, she had a baby and so whenever we played like whenever they played blasting music in the car, I would kick like I would dance in her stomach and I thought we're going way back, okay, and it felt like a little bit uncomfortable. Yeah, so it's fine. But yeah, and I was supposed to be born on may 31st. But then one time they were playing blasting music and they didn't feel me. So they said like oh no, we can't feel her because, like she's not kicking. So they weren't sure what to do. So my mother called the doctor and she's like I can't, I don't feel my daughter kicking. So the doctor said okay, I'm going to give you a special medicine and you're going to take that and you're going to see if it helps you. If not, come to the hospital. And my mother, she still didn't feel the kicking the next day and she went to the hospital and they said you know what? You're going to have your baby today.
Speaker 3:Oh my, which was March 31st, two months early, whoa.
Speaker 2:And then I had wires in me, because when a baby's born two months early, what does that mean?
Speaker 3:They have wires in them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they need a lot of extra care.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and so because I had wires in me, I had this diagnosis of apopalsy and they knew that right away. No, they didn't. They found out eventually. Okay, they said, you know we're going to name her Orly because it's the best name ever.
Speaker 2:It is. Did you come home after a long time?
Speaker 3:I came home two weeks after I was born.
Speaker 2:So they came home with like a tiny, tiny baby. You must have been really small.
Speaker 3:And that was like crazy. Yeah, and that's the end of the story, really yeah.
Speaker 2:I feel like it's the beginning of the story.
Speaker 3:But can I tell you something? Yeah, the story, really. Yeah, I feel like it's the beginning of the story, but can I tell you something? Yeah, cerebral palsy means, in case someone doesn't know, it's a diagnosis and your brain works normally, but my brain takes a little time to send the messages, and so what it does? It says OK, so we're going to make her fall. But I don't get that message right away. Go slower. And then the brain just makes me fall, got it Okay. And one secret I can tell you is I'm dramatic.
Speaker 2:Oh, no way, I don't think that's such a secret. I think it's quite obvious. By the way, I listened to your podcast on 24-6.
Speaker 3:Uh-huh, and that's how I wanted to your podcast on 24-6.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh.
Speaker 3:And that's how I wanted to get interviewed. I'm like, okay, this is famous, I got to get interviewed and finally this is what happened, because you're attracted to anything famous.
Speaker 2:You just love the fame. Yeah, You'll love it. You'll love the spotlight. One day you'll have your own show. I know I could totally see it like the Orly show.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:Okay, so how does that impact your life? So you have this diagnosis called cerebral palsy, where your brain functions differently, right, and it sends messages at a slower rate and I have a hard time walking. Uh-huh.
Speaker 3:And it's not so easy and sometimes I feel like down about myself working, but a lot of times I'm just positive and be like okay, this is what Hashem convinced me with and I'm fine with that, and this is what Hashem privileged me and this is what Hashem gave me. And even in these horrible situations I'm still positive, like a normal girl.
Speaker 2:Wow, do you have to work on that, or like it just comes to you?
Speaker 3:Work on that and sometimes it just comes to me and sometimes I have to work on it.
Speaker 2:Thank you for keeping it real, Because somebody might think like oh, you were just born happy, so you don't have to work on it. But it doesn't seem like that's the case it seems like it's something that you choose.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's really hard, because sometimes you don't feel like a normal kid, because it's just hard. In life things can be hard, but you just have to keep pushing through and that will get you through it.
Speaker 2:Wow, All right. So we know that you already enumerated a few challenges like, for example, not having an easy time walking. Do you have to go in a wheelchair? Yeah, like when I saw you were in a wheelchair. Are you always in a wheelchair? Not always.
Speaker 3:I could walk, okay, so how do you know when to go in a wheelchair? So when I get tired, when the brain tells me I get tired, I get tired and you listen to your brain.
Speaker 2:Yeah, was there a time when you didn't want to walk as much and you would rather just stay in the wheelchair?
Speaker 3:Yeah, but people motivate me sometimes, and sometimes I'll be like, nope, sorry, I'm not walking, sorry, nope, I'm not walking. And I would just be like, okay, nope, I'm not walking, and that's it.
Speaker 2:And then you said they motivate you, yeah, so then how do they get you to walk?
Speaker 3:They got me to walk, by cheering me on and doing all the things that I should learn how to do, and by me learning from them and for them to learn from me.
Speaker 2:It's just an incredible environment for me to realize, yeah, who are these people who are the motivators in your life, Like who is the ones cheering?
Speaker 3:for you, my mother and my father, because they want me to do it and sometimes I feel motivated myself. Right, you have to have enough of those yeah, what you continue.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you, I don't mind if you continue you could. No, you continue now. You continue, no, you continue.
Speaker 3:You know, like when there's a fight for, like, siblings.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's like what we're doing now, like now you continue no, I feel like siblings are the opposite, like it's my turn, you know. Yeah, so okay, fine, it will be my turn, my turn. I was saying that sometimes, when you have enough people in your life telling you positive motivational messages like you could do this, come on, you got this. Eventually, you don't need them there 24-7 to remind you, because they tell you enough times you got this. So then you can start saying it to yourself I got this, I can do this, I'm capable, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, also, one of the fun things I like to do I forgot to share in the beginning is that I like to go on my electric scooter. So I was always dying for an electric scooter and my parents decided, basically we have this neighbor on an electric scooter and he gave us the idea because I can go on an electric scooter, and that's how we did it. That's how we functioned.
Speaker 2:So what kind of electric scooter Is it a standing one or a sitting one?
Speaker 3:Sitting I can't balance so good, that would be dangerous, right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. So let's just sidestep for a second and talk about what you like to do. So it sounds like you have challenges like having a hard time with walking and doing regular activities that other people take for granted, and the way your brain works is different, but I know that you're a very fun girl who has a full life and, like you mentioned, billions of friends and all this good stuff going on. So what are some of your favorite hobbies and activities that you like to do?
Speaker 3:So I like taking pictures on my camera, I like going on my scooter and I like playing with my sister and brother, ariella, and hello Moshe, but we call him Hilly, and yeah, they're really good saviors. And sometimes my sister Ariella, she like makes me want to walk and it's just cute.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's very sweet. Are you the oldest? Yeah, what kind of responsibilities do you have as the oldest?
Speaker 3:Fun stuff.
Speaker 2:That's good Like what.
Speaker 3:Like special privileges.
Speaker 2:Like.
Speaker 3:Going to an Incredible Kids concert.
Speaker 2:Oh only you went, not the younger kids.
Speaker 3:No, wow, that's awesome by the way, yeah, your Incredible Kids podcast. I feel like every second that I like you speak for like five minutes and then when people say something, you laugh Like it's funny.
Speaker 2:I know you told me already.
Speaker 3:Oh, and also another thing that I want to say it's like when there's no purple on either of us spotlighting, it's like quiet, you know.
Speaker 2:Does that bother you? No, I don't care. Like when there's quiet moments, nah, it's fine, I don't care. I think people don't realize that it's good sometimes when you're having a conversation, like it's very healthy and normal to have little quiet breaks. Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. Like some people think it's awkward, but I don't. Yeah, by the way, you were spelling my name, so I want to tell you how you spell it. Some people spell it with the E-I-O-Y. I spell it with the.
Speaker 2:O-R-L-Y. I think that's the spelling that makes the most sense. If you ask me yeah, just looks right. Yeah, good choice. Good choice of whoever made that up, you know, I want you to tell me some of the things that you could do really well despite your cerebral palsy. Like you have this condition, that's really hard. You have this, whatever you called it a diagnosis, right yeah.
Speaker 3:I could color, I could scooter on my own and sometimes I feel a little left out because other kids are scootering on Shabbos and because my scooter is electric then I can't go scootering on Shabbos.
Speaker 2:I got that yeah.
Speaker 3:Also, I'm getting a big mitzvah zakhar. I'm getting a big zakhar for what I'm doing.
Speaker 2:By holding back from doing lukta.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's true. It's a really good way to look at it I'm doing by holding back from doing muqtah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's true, it's a really good way to look at it, even though I'm desperate. I say to Hashem, hashem, you made me have sweet Bapolzi, so then I'm going to give you, I'm going to give you your wisdom and I'm going to have sweet Bapolzi and that's just going to be my life and I'm not going to go on my scooter on Shabbos.
Speaker 2:Wow, are there times that you do complain? Let's be honest. Other you could be negative, but also you could be positive as much as you want.
Speaker 3:You could be good and cute and fun and nice, and all those kinds of things that make you happy will just come to you right away.
Speaker 2:Amazing what feels better for you being negative or positive.
Speaker 3:Positive.
Speaker 2:Why.
Speaker 3:Because being positive is the right meter, and you have to do Hashem's mitzvot right, so that's the way you do it. It's true.
Speaker 2:Because I feel like it's the easier thing to do to be negative sometimes, right.
Speaker 3:Sometimes I just feel like dumb about myself. I'm like, hey, I'm going away, like I ran away this Sabbath and I had such a good time, but at the same time I really need my reflux away from me. And because I can't balance well, like my reflux, like my diagnosis is holding me back from being positive and being negative, but also Shabbos I ran away and I had the best time ever. But also when I came back I spoke a little bit negativity, because what else am I supposed to do? What else am I supposed to do if I'm just negative the whole day? Like my parents are like be positive, do whatever you want. Like I'm like, yeah, I am being positive, I'm trying, I just have harder stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, to do Exactly. So how do you make that shift? How do you twist it, like when you are in that negative space and you feel like you want to just complain because something's actually really challenging Right, it's not a joke. So how do you switch it? How do you get to the positive mindset?
Speaker 3:So I get to have the mindset by thinking about happy things, like OK, so something to look forward to. Like I put you on my calendar. I'm like, okay, more TV on Sunday and I just looked forward to like whatever, I just looked forward to it. Kept you going throughout, yeah yeah, with the famous celebrity on Shabbos. I was so positive because I had somewhere to look forward to, and that's you okay, what's the next thing you're looking forward to, though?
Speaker 2:because when this is over, you need to look forward to a new's you Okay, what's the next thing you're looking?
Speaker 3:forward to, though, because when this is over, you need to look forward to a new thing. The next thing I'm looking forward to is I don't know, I didn't put anything on my calendar. Think about it.
Speaker 2:Let's think about it now.
Speaker 3:But I really try to be positive. I'm looking forward to going on my scooter after school.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a great thing. Exactly, big things and small things, right.
Speaker 3:Also one time like, let's say like I don't have anything to look forward to, I just look forward to my scooter, and that cheers me up along the way.
Speaker 2:Do you feel like that good breeze, like blowing against your face when it goes fast?
Speaker 3:Yeah. That's one of my favorite things about like vehicles. Yeah, but you also have to be the wise, you have to care about the scooter and you have to be careful.
Speaker 2:You can't just crash. Yeah, you don't want to crash.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a bad idea. Some kids they crash and they think it's bumper cars. So my father said if you think it's bumper cars, don't use it.
Speaker 2:That's not the responsible way, for sure. Yeah, number one you'll get hurt. Number two you'll lose your scooter.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I don't want to lose my scooter, because this is the only way that I have it going.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. Okay, so you mentioned before and I know that you've had multiple surgeries what are these surgeries for? And then I want you to tell us whatever you wanted to share about them, because I know that you're excited to share.
Speaker 3:Yes, so I had. When I was a baby, I had eye surgeries because my eye wasn't seeing so good.
Speaker 3:And then all these surgeries are connected to my cerebral palsy, okay, so basically I had a huge surgery. Now they were supposed to do the hamstrings and the hips and then they thought that my hips were twisted so they untwisted the hips and the legs loosened itself and I was supposed to to get a cast, but then I didn't, okay, and they put something called in plate dense screws and then they said a year later I should take them out. So like a year later after that surgery I took my plates out, my plates and screws, but they're not like real plates and screws, like, imagine, just like a dinner plate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like a dinner plate.
Speaker 3:No, it's not like a dinner plate, it's not like a real screw that you fix stuff with it, you know, although they are fixing something, yeah, kind of like construction inside your body. But it was a knife because my parents they thought that I was going to be in a cast for at least two years and I wasn't. And I had to stay in the hospital for two months and I came home on my birthday.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 3:Only the first big surgery was the cast?
Speaker 2:That was a surgery on your hips and your legs right, yeah, and that was supposed to help you walk better.
Speaker 3:No hips and hamstrings.
Speaker 2:What are hamstrings?
Speaker 3:Like part of your leg.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3:My sister came to visit me in the hospital and when I came home she ran to me like if there was no hesitation and she gave me a huge hug, like a giant hug. Oh, that's so sweet, best thing ever it was so cute. Plus, it was your birthday and I got her a doll. Like she loves unicorns, I got her a unicorn doll. You got her a present, yeah, and.
Speaker 2:I got myself a present Wow Okay. At the gift shop.
Speaker 3:I got myself an Elmo and her a unicorn, but also I helped by the gift shop. I asked the lady if I could help her.
Speaker 2:I love that Like while you were still hospitalized.
Speaker 3:Yeah, when I was discharged, everyone was so sad. And then also I gave out lollipops to all the people in the hospital and I made a huge kid, a shashem, and I was so happy to do it.
Speaker 2:Wow, why were they so disappointed that you left?
Speaker 3:Because they loved my candies. You think that's what it was, yeah.
Speaker 2:You think they loved your candies or they loved you.
Speaker 3:They loved me and they loved that I worked in the gift shop, but they also loved my positive attitude. I'm sure that's what it was, oh and also when I had my surgery, we had to borrow a wheelchair from Beaker Column because I didn't have a wheelchair then, and now I have a wheelchair, and it's so good.
Speaker 2:What makes a wheelchair a good one?
Speaker 3:I am getting a new one.
Speaker 2:What makes a wheelchair a good one?
Speaker 3:I don't know, they're just fun.
Speaker 2:And you could do a wheelie in them. Should I show you? Yeah, I want to see. Let's see. Whoa. Okay, be careful. I know I thought you were going to spin around in a circle. Do you know how to spin? Yeah, I could do that. Should I show you? Is there room? I don't want you to knock anything over. Is there room where?
Speaker 3:you are yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't want to get in trouble.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, no, no, I can't because of the plug.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, be careful, we don't want to unplug because this took us a while to set up. Do you have any accessories on your wheelchair? Um yeah, I don't know, but like depends, Because I met a really cutie girl. Did you watch our Hanukkah video called Am I a Hero? Yeah, so do you know Hana? Oh, I know someone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, we're going to talk about that in a second, but she's really cutie and she has a little pink cup, that attached to her wheelchair like a cup holder and it has her name on it and I was like that's so cute, like an accessory.
Speaker 3:I know. Oh, but I know when I watched the video, I was screaming. That's Hannah, I was screaming, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was screaming yeah, you knew her. That's so cute. Okay, so, woman, is there anything else about the surgery you wanted to share?
Speaker 3:No, that's the nice that they untwisted my hips and the leg loosened itself.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. So since that big surgery that you had where they untwisted your hips, did you have others? No Good, Barakasha.
Speaker 3:Except for the plate and screws one I told you about, but also my doctor that used to be with me. He moved to Canada.
Speaker 2:Oh, goodbye.
Speaker 3:And now we have a new doctor. Was that annoying for you when he left? Yeah well, he sent us a letter which was so emotional and I was like you know how like sometimes, like you're just like frowning when you see a letter. That's so sad.
Speaker 2:What did he say?
Speaker 3:He's like dear patient, it's a long letter I can't like explain.
Speaker 2:Was it like just for you, or was it like a letter that he wrote to everybody?
Speaker 3:I mean my father also wrote it, and my mother because they had to know that Dr Howard was leaving.
Speaker 2:Wow, so you were crying when you read it? No, I was not. You were frowning. Yeah, like this, because he was a good doctor. Yeah, all right, that is hard. That's a hard adjustment, especially when you get used to somebody who makes you feel comfortable, has the right treatment plan you know, yeah, yes, it was very hard in the beginning, but once I got used to it I was fine.
Speaker 3:And Baruch Hashem new person. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:I had a situation actually last week where I went to a new doctor. We had like a great first appointment and at the end the doctor was like OK, so I'm just letting you know that like I'm going away for the next few months, so I'm never going to talk to you again. I was like that's so weird. Why didn't you tell me that before I just got used to you?
Speaker 3:I thought that was strange. You went to this appointment today.
Speaker 2:No last week.
Speaker 3:Hello, I feel so bad.
Speaker 2:It's okay, I'm over it.
Speaker 3:I'm crying for you now.
Speaker 2:You know the feeling. Yeah, you have so much empathy. Yes, you know what that is.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like you have so much thoughtfulness Like so much Like feeling it with the other person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a really special me, though, to be an empath Anyway. So, orly, tell me about Camp Simcha, because I know that's a highlight of your life.
Speaker 3:Camp Simcha. When you walk into camp, you literally forget about your sweetboboldy.
Speaker 2:It's the best thing. Do you go to Camp Simcha regular or Camp Simcha special? Both of them? You stay both halves. Yeah, I didn't know you're allowed to do that. No, no, not for the boys one. Well, no, no, no, I'm saying for the girls half.
Speaker 3:For both of them, of course. I would never miss such a thing that would help me in my life.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's awesome. Tell me why. Like I know, it's a magical place, but to you, why is it so magical?
Speaker 3:It's so fun and you just have the best time and everyone welcomes. You has a tunnel of love, you dance. It has a tunnel of love, you dance. It's the best thing. It's amazing.
Speaker 2:And when they're dancing, do you dance with your wheelchair? Yeah, how do you dance in a wheelchair?
Speaker 3:Sometimes they pick me up in my wheelchair. That's crazy. Oh, by the way, let everyone know that I can walk really, you did mention that.
Speaker 2:You just said that sometimes you need the wheelchair, so you have both, and we also mentioned that your parents motivate you to walk more right. Yeah, I'm paying attention.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Um hello, I give you a button that you should laugh. I mean because it's the funniest thing when you laugh. I listen to your podcast and you laugh.
Speaker 2:Hello, are you noticing a pattern Like is there something specific that makes me laugh, like more than other things? Like talk, laugh, talk, laugh talk, laugh, talk, laugh, talk, laugh, no, no, I'm saying like, did you again that that is the pattern? But I'm saying, do you notice, like the things that make me laugh, or it just seems to be random it just seems to be random oh gosh, I have no hope hi, yeah, um.
Speaker 3:so this wheelchair is getting a little bit small, so I keep fixing myself. I don't know why, but it's just getting a little small.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's uncomfortable when it gets small, but you're getting a new one, yeah.
Speaker 3:Hopefully, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, orly, you should be so proud of yourself for being like.
Speaker 2:I know it might feel natural to you to want to talk and share and be in the spotlight, but by you speaking and being in this spotlight here on Incredible Kids, I know for a fact there are kids who are going to be listening to this and they're going to say, well, if Orly could be b'simcha, and if Orly can be open about her struggles, and if Orly could admit that sometimes it's super hard, and if Orly could still thank Hashem for what she has and all of that, it's a huge inspiration. I can do it too, right? I think it makes people say like I got this also. You know we all got this, but you gave me a bracha about always being able to laugh, which is not a small bracha. I take it very seriously and I really hope that Hashem takes your words from they say like from your mouth to God's ears. But I want to know, orly, can you give a bracha to all of the incredible kids? Because I know that you're like a bracha giver.
Speaker 3:So you should have, you should live to 120 and you should have it in good health.
Speaker 2:I mean.
Speaker 3:When you're thinking about something, keep pushing, because you'll never know what's going to happen in your life and it's sometimes heart-wrenching to have a cerebral palsy, but once you get used to it you know that Hashem is with you and you got this.
Speaker 2:And to people who have all sorts of different life challenges. That's right, yeah, where did this brachos like? When did you become a rabba? A rabbit sin, rabbits sin, rabbits sin. Yeah, when did you become a rabbits sin?
Speaker 3:When I started giving the var Torahs, because oh, you give the var Torahs too.
Speaker 2:Yes, from where, like? How do you know them? Like, how do you know so much Torah?
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 2:You say things that you learned in school.
Speaker 3:Maybe sometimes. You're always just like collecting different thoughts. Sometimes school can be so hard for you and you just have to know that Hashem's going to be with you every step of the way.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Where do you give these Devar Torahs?
Speaker 3:Like at my house, like on Sabbath.
Speaker 2:So that's something you started recently, or you've been doing that your whole life.
Speaker 3:I've been doing it my whole life.
Speaker 2:Fascinating. That's amazing. How does it feel when you give over Torah? How does that feel for you?
Speaker 3:Good, because you're getting zakah. When you help other people, you're getting zakah. You're doing the mitzvot of Hashem, you're getting the zakah.
Speaker 2:Because by you sharing words of Torah, you're inspiring other people. Yes, to also do mitzvos and take action. Yeah, can you give us something Like what did you talk about this week at the Shabbos table?
Speaker 3:So I was away for Shabbos, so I didn't speak.
Speaker 2:But yeah, well, if I are you good at like Devar Torahs on the spot, Like right now, if I said, orly, give us a, give us a little shtickle, give us a vart, what would you say?
Speaker 3:I would say that Hashem is going to be with you every step of the way, because if Hashem is going to be not with you, then you just don't have Hashem beside you. But Hashem is with you wherever you go. And sometimes people say, no, hashem is not with me, and then you come to a certain place and that just reminds you that Hashem is with you wherever you are.
Speaker 2:Amazing. I love that. Wow, orly, this has been so awesome and I learned so much from being in your presence. I really, really enjoyed this time together. I hope it was enjoyable for you also. Yeah, being that it's been on your calendar, right, I'm also super impressed that you keep a calendar.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's really cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Also. One thing that I also want to say before I give shout outs is maybe you can have the opportunity to unmute me on Incredible Kids this Thursday and show the kids Like this is who I interviewed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a really good idea, so we'll have to find a time that makes sense. Let them first hear the episode and then they'll get to meet you in real life and you can show them how cute you are and normal and you could say a devar Torah and you can show them your wheelchair and you can show them your smile and you can share with them something you're looking for. You know all the things we talked about.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, I like that idea. Let's put it on the calendar. I'm kidding.
Speaker 3:No, we're not putting it on the calendar?
Speaker 2:I'm kidding, don't put it on the calendar because I don't know when it will be. Maybe it will even be after Yom Tov, but it's something we can look forward to. Yeah, mertz Hashem, wow, okay, let's hear your shout-outs. Who are you shouting out today?
Speaker 3:So basically, rifki Perla was with me the whole Shabbos Cool Rifki, so I want to like give her a shout-out andabbos.
Speaker 2:Okay, shout out White Men's.
Speaker 3:And all my friends I made, but also to my parents and my family and to my cousins and to everyone I know.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Yes, thank you all for listening and thank you all for being Orly's biggest cheerleaders and friends. Orly, this has been so, so fun. Thank you.
Speaker 1:And now it's time for homework. Oh, come on, not that kind.
Speaker 2:This week as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Asar Simit Shuvah, and then, of course, yom Kippur coming up after that. I want to take Orly's incredible reminder with us that joy and laughter they're not extras in life, they're tools that could actually help us in our Avodah Hashem, recognize the good in our lives that he gave us. And Rosh Hashanah and this time of year is when we crown Hashem as our king. And how do we crown him our king? With sadness, with being afraid? Not at that moment, with trumpets, with celebration, with joy. That's how they would crown kings back in the day. So when we're crowning Hashem king, we're going to look at the challenges in the life Hashem gave us and we're going to look for those moments of laughter and light, like all the light that Orly talks about. So here's your homework every day, starting whenever you're listening to this and, of course, even if you're listening to this, not at this time of year, like totally you know, not on this podcast schedule.
Speaker 2:If it is Rosh Hashanah time period, great, aseret, shemita Shuvah Say out loud to yourself and this is a really great activity to do around the dinner table. If it's on Shabbos, it could be at the Shabbos table, tebal and say out loud one moment in your day that you had pure simcha joy. And here's the clincher. Then I want you to pause for a second and say, hashem, this joy is for you. I crown you as my king with all of the joy and simcha that I can.
Speaker 2:Now you could use your own words. If it's embarrassing to say that out loud, you could think it in your head. Hashem knows the thoughts and feelings that we have inside of us, but saying it sometimes actually helps. And then we're going to come to this time of year and we're going to have this like beautiful coronation, each of us in our own way, of Hashem, showing him how we take whatever circumstances life gives us, and we choose Hashem each time. Despite our challenges, we remain a servant of Hashem and being his servant is not a burden. It's something that comes with joy.
Speaker 1:Being a servant's not a burden when you're working for the King, who loves you like a son and daughter, only wants to bring you closer. Bring me close.
Speaker 2:If you're able to do this challenge, even if it's not consistent, I'd love to know how it goes for you. Send me your feedback, and it will probably make me smile too.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile I give everyone the bracha.
Speaker 2:That was the bracha that I've received before and it meant the most to me.
Speaker 1:Here it is.
Speaker 2:Hashem should answer all of your tzfilos for the absolute best, even the tzfilos that are in your heart, the things that you wish to say, that are hard for you to say. Hashem knows them all. So may Hashem hear them and see you and understand you and give you all of the bracha in your life that you should see and recognize at every step of the way. Call Mishalos Libchem L'tova. K'siva v'chassima tova, gemar chassima tova, whenever you're listening to this and sending you lots of love from Incredible Kids Podcast Studio.
Speaker 3:Are you an incredible kid? Send your story to ikidspodcasts at gmailcom. Subscribe today to the.
Speaker 1:Incredible Kids Podcast. Thanks for listening and remember you are all Incredible Kids.
