Race for Our Kids 2019-Meet Rivka Yifrah
Ten-year-old Rivka Yifrah has been something of a medical mystery to doctors since her infancy. 
Born at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai in 2009, Rivka, at 10 months, seemed relatively healthy but would vomit frequently. Her mom, Dina, began to worry at 13 months because, although she was talking, she wasn't yet crawling. Dina was comforted some by the fact that Rivka's older brothers and sister were late crawlers and walkers. But one weekend, Dina noticed that Rivka looked pale and took her to see her pediatrician. Discovering that Rivka was severely anemic, the pediatrician immediately sent her to Sinai pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Joseph Wiley, former Chief of Pediatrics for Samuelson Children's Hospital.
After a two-day span that included bloodwork and other tests and an overnight blood transfusion, Rivka awoke and stood up, jumping up and down in her crib. Her doctor, Dr. Kalpana Murthy, performed an endoscopy and concluded that she had a milk allergy and discharged her the following day.
Rivka followed a strict non-dairy diet and had no serious health problems until three years ago, when Dina noticed that she was looking pale again and took her back to her pediatrician. He recommended she see pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Aziza Shad at Sinai. After months of iron supplements without much improvement in her iron levels, Dr. Shad suggested Rivka go see a gastroenterologist, Dr. Kalpana Murthy.
From their first meeting, Dr. Shad has gone above and beyond to keep Rivka healthy and her family informed, even calling Rivka's parents on the weekends or on her drive home from the hospital to explain test results. "Dr. Shad took care of Rivka as if she was her own daughter," Dina says. "She's so caring, soft-spoken and reassuring, and she makes sure we understand everything."
During the past three years, Dr. Shad and a team of hematology doctors and nurses have closely monitored Rivka's anemia. She has undergone several intravenous iron infusions and takes iron supplements regularly when her iron stores are low.
Despite her iron deficiency, Rivka has always been energetic, playful, and athletic. She's easygoing and likes to make everybody happy. She loves to ride her bike, play outside and spend time with friends. She also enjoys spending time with her siblings at home and visiting her cousins in New York. This summer, she went on a trip to Hershey Park with all of her cousins.
Rivka describes all the doctors, nurses and staff at Sinai in one word: caring. She says her experience at Sinai would not be the same without the attentiveness and care she gets from Dr. Aziza Shad, Dr. Joseph Wiley, Dr. Kalpana Murthy, child life specialist Kelly Beck and the pediatric nurses.
"They care and love for each patient," Rivka says. "And they do whatever they need for you to make sure you're comfortable."
Support Rivka at the 15th annual Race for Our Kids on Sunday, Oct. 6.