It was a transformative moment for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
Helen and Jacob Shaham donated $15 million, and the Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute now bears their name.
For them, it was personal – Jacob Shaham lost his twin brother to the disease, and another family member was saved by the hospital.
“She always was talking wonderfully about the hospital,” said Helen Shaham.
“We really care, we really care, this is the reason we are so close to this industry,” said Jacob Shaham.
The Shahams moved to Miami 46 years ago from Israel with $38,000 – no family, no friends. They purchased a small facility in Opa-locka and hired three employees to start The Palace Group, providing quality senior care.
“Twenty years, working 20 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Jacob Shaham.
From humble beginnings, The Palace Group has grown to an empire with four locations, 10 communities, and about 2,000 employees.
For the Shahams, residents and staff are an extension of family.
“We hug and kiss the residents, the families all the time,” said Helen Shaham.
On this day at the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, they met 16-year-old Sabrina Soto, who is battling a rare liver cancer, one of only seven cases in the U.S. After four months of treatment, doctors say she’s on her way to a full recovery and looking forward to what’s next.
“I really want to ring my bell, and I also want to get into the pool because I can’t with this,” said Sabrina Soto,
“When people get out of it, or they are finishing treatment, this is a gift that you cannot buy. It’s worth everything,” said Jacob Shaham.
For more than 46 years, the Shahams have dedicated their lives to caring for the elderly and now they’re investing in life-saving treatment for Florida’s youngest residents.
At Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, about 90% of children are on Medicaid with no insurance. Each year, nearly 16,000 kids in the U.S., hundreds in Florida, are diagnosed with cancer.
But thanks to donors like the Shahams, they now have access to life-saving care close to home.
