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A couple is forced to put their lives on hold after President Donald Trump's travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries.

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The surgeons would remove not just one but both of Melissa Benoit's lungs. She is a cystic fibrosis patient

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The Burlington, Ontario, woman was was so sick, she could not speak for herself.

"I was unconscious at this point and had been for some time," Melissa Benoit said. "So (my family) made the decision based on my previous wishes -- just knowing who I am."

Chris Benoit remembers the moment of decision in April. He, Melissa's mom, dad and uncle all spoke at once. "It didn't take very long for us to insist that Melissa would want to go right to the end and fight with experimental surgery," he said.

In fact, Melissa Benoit, then 32, had been suffering for years. A cystic fibrosis patient, she had been struggling with an on-again, off-again infection that had ravaged her lungs over the course of three years. An inherited disorder, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices, and causes damage to the lungs, gastrointestinal system and other organs of the body.

She'd been taking antibiotics intravenously, but then she came down with the flu, which triggered coughing fits so terrible, she fractured her ribs.

"They thought they'd just do a quick switcheroo with antibiotics," she said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The last day I remember was Easter Sunday 2016, where I was waiting for an ICU bed."

While she was unconscious, the infection could not be controlled, so in early April, she was transferred -- sedated and on a ventilator -- to Toronto General Hospital's Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

She was suffering from "severe bacterial infection involving her lungs, and the bacteria was very drug-resistant, so despite being on antibiotics, it was not very well-controlled," said Dr. Atul Humar, director of the transplant program at Toronto General Hospital and president of the Canadian Society of Transplantation. Humar was not directly involved in Benoit's care.

Drowning in the blood and pus that filled her lungs, she had been gasping for breath -- grasping for life -- for days. It was clear Benoit needed a lung transplant, but a conventional ventilator was not enough to help her breathe until donor lungs became available.

To help her breathe and to gain more time, physicians placed her on Extra-Corporeal Lung Support, a temporary life-support medical device often used to help bridge patients waiting for a transplant.

Amanda Spriel, a perfusionist at Toronto General who was involved in the procedure, explained that this machine functions as the lungs normally do. It drains blood from the body, oxygenates it and removes the carbon dioxide, and then pumps the cleaned blood back into the patient.

For other patients waiting for a lung donor, this machine is enough to help them survive. In Benoit's case, her condition only worsened.

The infection took over her lungs, spilled into her bloodstream and caused septic shock, she said, adding that it "meant they couldn't do a lung transplant. You cannot transplant someone who is in septic shock."

She would die if nothing was done.

Conferring with her family, a "radical decision" was made, said Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, surgeon-in-chief at University Health Network. "Because her lungs were so infected, we took both lungs out ... and that had never been done before."

Historic and historical

Though radical, the idea "makes scientific sense," Humar said. "We know that when you have infections anywhere in the body, if you can remove the source of the infection, it's often a good way to treat the infection."

These days, because excellent antibiotics can deal with most infections, doctors no longer resort to this practice, he explained: "Certainly, in historical times, surgery was used for treatment of severe infections."

Despite the experimental nature of this surgery, Toronto General was certainly the perfect place to try it. The world's first successful single lung transplant and the world's first successful double lung transplant had both been performed there in 1983, Humar said. He explained that the hospital had a big investment in transplantation and "a very large multidisciplinary team of talented people."

In fact, the surgical team had been discussing the possibility of such a procedure for several years before Benoit landed in their ward. They'd seen how patients with cystic fibrosis sometimes developed lung infections and septic shock while waiting for a donor lung.

In Benoit's case, once her lung infection became resistant to all medications, it was clear this hypothetical surgery would be her only chance.

A team of 13, led by Keshavjee, entered the operating room and removed her lungs in a nine-hour procedure.

Engorged with pus and mucus, her lungs had become as hard as footballs, Keshavjee said.

Once they'd removed her lungs, the surgical team put a Novalung in on the right side of her heart to work with the Extra-Corporeal Lung Support machine in replacing respiratory function, Keshavjee said. Novalung is a lung support system that oxygenates the blood andis typically used to support patients with failing lungs before they've been removed.

"Obviously, it was a very difficult and a very challenging decision, because there were a lot of unknowns as to whether it would even be technically possible, but theoretically and physiologically, it made sense that it should work," he said. "We were happy that we could pull it off -- the first step of getting her stabilized on the devices and the second step of getting her to and through a lung transplant, which is not a small operation."

A 'night and day' change

"I was ... brought back up to the ICU with an empty chest cavity, except for my heart," Benoit said. Yet, within hours of the radical surgery, she began to improve. No longer needing blood pressure medication, most of her organs showed signs of repair.

"The sepsis got better," she said, and she was put back on the lung transplant wait list.

"I waited six days before receiving my perfect pair of donor lungs," said Benoit, who describes her new lungs as "night and day" compared with her original lungs.

"I've never had the experience of breathing before," she said. "I was always feeling like I was breathing through a straw."

Cystic fibrosis will not recur in her transplanted lungs, according to her doctors, who say this is significant since many people with the disease die from infected lungs. However, she still has the genetics of cystic fibrosis, which can affect other systems in her body, including the digestive system.

"She has a very good prognosis," Keshavjee said. "The lungs are working well, she's gone through rehabilitation, and now she's walking around and living a more normal life and taking her daughter to school."

"When you measure success of something this dramatic, I think it's important to show that it is a success. Prolonging somebody's life for 20 days isn't really a meaningful thing in the long run, but really getting them back to where they're being a mom and really doing things, that's the more important part."

As far as Humar is concerned, the surgery is nothing less than "a remarkable achievement ... and the world's first."

Surgery, but also rehabilitation, was an achievement for Benoit, who could not lift her arms, her head or even a finger after being immobile in a hospital bed for so many days. She is thankful that her physiotherapists -- who brought her back so she is able to walk again -- did not give up on her.

Oddly, Benoit's worst moment came after she went home: She saw a video clip of her husband and her daughter, Olivia, 2, in the ICU. In order to do a transplant, doctors needed Benoit to give a sign that she was still alive.

"They needed to show that there was somebody in there," she said.

"And my daughter ... was sitting on the edge of my bed yelling, 'Mummy, wake up!' Repeatedly, over and over again, and my husband's there telling her, 'You tell Mummy -- wake up Mummy!' And I think that was the hardest part of the entire process -- knowing that that had to take place," Benoit said through tears.

In that moment, she showed she was alive by sticking out her tongue, a little movement that enabled her doctors to go forth with the radical plan.

Benoit has more medical procedures ahead, and no specific plans for the future. She's just happy to have one. "Things are starting to get back to normal, and it hasn't been normal, in a very long time so it's nice," she said.

Her husband also feels thankful for her renewed health, and is urging people to become organ donors. In Canada, people can sign up online, while residents of the United States can check each state's donor procedures here.

"She's here with us today, and it's just a fantastic day," Chris Benoit said at a news conference Wednesday. "I urge you ... go on the (organ) donor's site and register or update your consent."

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Awaiting transplant, mom lives 6 days without lungs

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The Burlington, Ontario, woman was was so sick, she could not speak for herself. "I was unconscious at this point and had been for some time," Melissa Benoit said. "So (my family) made the decision based on my previous wishes -- just knowing who I am."

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The New York Knicks are discussing trading Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Police Chief Lou Dekmar publicly apologized Thursday night more than 76 years after the brutal slaying of a black man here.

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Trump has first meeting with Vladimir Putin on Saturday

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trump to speak with putin on saturday - cnnpolitics

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President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to speak on the phone Saturday in their first conversation since Trump took office, with Vice President Mike Pence joining the call.

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Who's in, who's out from 2016 playoff teams

It's not easy to keep great NFL teams together. Big decisions loom for the Patriots, who have several key free agents, as well as the Steelers, Chiefs, and others.

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Killer Drifter Tied to New Hampshire Murder Mysteries

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Samurai Jack Will Return This March

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Fans of the Samurai Jack reboot series rejoice! The next season finally has a release date. Mark your calendars for March 11 at 11:30 p.m. That's when the action is going down! The premiere of the new

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2 Teens Arrested After Planning Mass Shooting at Florida Middle School, Police Say

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Two male teenagers in central Florida were arrested Thursday after authorities discovered the pair's plan for a Columbine-style mass shooting at their middle school, police said.

The unidentified students -- ages 13 and 14 -- were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and placed into the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Sumter County Sheriff's Department said in a press release.

Law enforcement and school officials were initially tipped off of the pair's plans on Tuesday, police said. The arrests came after "officials learned of, and intervened in a plot to initiate a mass shooting at their school," the release said.

On Tuesday, after classes had finished for the day, "school officials and the schools resource officer became aware of rumors circulating between students at the school," the release explains. "The rumors indicated that a student was planning a mass shooting on Friday January 27th. Witnesses indicated that some students had been warned not to come to school on Friday."

The following day, the two students told officials that they had indeed discussed a mass shooting at The Villages Charter Middle School in Lady Lake, a town located about an hour northwest of Orlando.

Police said in the release, "The 13-year-old student alleged to be planning the attack was intercepted by authorities as he attempted to arrive for school. At that time, he acknowledged conversations involving the plot and referenced the mass shooting at Columbine High School."

During the conversation with the 13-year-old, "officials learned of a second student's potential involvement and quickly located the 14-year-old-male student on campus," according the release. "The 14-year-old student acknowledged his involvement in conversations with the 13-year-old student again referencing the Columbine shooting. The student informed officials that the two students had planned an attack which included what they would use as a signal to open fire."

No weapons were found on either of the students or in their bags or lockers, police said.

Then on Thursday, the teens were arrested at their homes during the service of search warrants. The 13-year-old was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff's Office on a juvenile order at his home in Fruitland Park. The 14-year-old was arrested by the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at his home in Wildwood. No additional arrests are expected, police said.

Firearms were recovered from both suspects' homes during the search warrant service.

An increased deputy presence will be at the school on Friday.

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2 Teens Arrested After Planning Middle School Mass Shooting

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Two male teenagers in central Florida were arrested Thursday after authorities discovered the pair's plan for a Columbine-style mass shooting at their middle school, police said. The unidentified students -- ages 13 and 14 -- were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and placed into the custody...

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More than 70 years after the Holocaust ended, survivors living in the United States continue to suffer. An estimated one-third of the 100,000 survivors in the country live at or below the poverty line.

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2 Teens Arrested After Planning Mass Shooting at Florida Middle School, Police Say

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Two teens ages 13 and 14 arrested after planning a mass shooting in a middle school in Florida

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La. Tech forced to play with only four players after brawl against UAB

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Things got a bit ridiculous at the end of Thursday night's game between the UAB Blazers and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

After a foul call with 6:03 remaining, UAB's Hakeem Baxter and Louisiana Tech's Jacobi Boykins got into it during the free throw and sparked a brawl that, following a string of ejections, left Tech with just 4 players the rest of the way.

Both players were assessed Flagrant-2 technical fouls and ejected. All of the Bulldogs bench was ejected for coming onto the court during the skirmish. UAB assistants managed to stop two bench players from hitting the floor, meaning the Blazers had 6 players left.

Here's where it gets goofy. The Blazers led 63-50 at the time and got to play 5-on-4 for the final six minutes of the game ... and managed to get outscored 20-16 the rest of the way.

#LaTech bench during the last 6 minutes of Thursday's game at #UAB after all but 4 players & all assistant coaches were ejected @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/6HHme3ruAc
- Scott Forester (@scott4ester) January 27, 2017

Yes, they held on to win 79-70, but how do you get outscored with the man advantage in basketball?

Clearly, both teams need to work on controlling their temper -- and UAB might want to work on finding the open man.

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La. Tech forced to play with only four players after brawl against UAB

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Things got a bit ridiculous at the end of Thursday night's game between the UAB Blazers and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. After a foul call with 6:03 remaining, UAB's Hakeem Baxter and Louisiana Tech's Jacobi Boykins got into it during the free throw and sparked a brawl that, following a string of ejections, left Tech with just 4 players the rest of the way.

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the FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Anne Swaney.

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A suspected serial killer, who used various aliases during a cross-country homicide spree, took his darkest secrets to his grave.

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five aliases and a decades-old murder mystery   - cnn

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Six victims, five aliases and a decades-old murder mystery

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A suspected serial killer, who used various aliases during a cross-country homicide spree, took his darkest secrets to his grave.

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A Yellow fever and Zika virus outbreak in Brazil had infected and killed 40 people on the 26 of January.

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Police dash cam footage captures the moment when a commuter train smashes through a FedEx truck.

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Police dash cam footage captures the moment when a commuter train smashes through a FedEx truck.

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2 teens were arrested Thursday for planning to shoot up their school.

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Two Florida teenagers were arrested Thursday for allegedly planning an orchestrated mass shooting at their Orlando-area middle school.

Local news reports said that one of the the two planned to drop a pencil during gym class to signal to the other to begin shooting.

Students who reportedly knew about the plot were told to wear white and shout "Eugene" to avoid being a target. Some students were told not to come to school altogether.

The two teens, ages 13 and 14, were arrested when deputies executed search warrants. Weapons were found at both suspects' homes. The teens were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and were placed in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

According to Fox 35 Orlando, the teens are students at The Villages Charter Middle School. Officials at the school became aware of the alleged plot when they heard other students talking about it.

According to My News 13, Lake County Sheriff's deputies questioned the 13-year-old who was allegedly planning the attack. The student told the police of the plot and referenced the Columbine shooting.

Deputies learned of the second teen involved in the planning. The 14-year-old also referenced the Columbine shooting when speaking with authorities, according to My News 13.

The Sumter County Sheriff's Office expressed its gratitude to students who were "brave enough" for speaking up about the alleged mass shooting plot, according to WFLA-TV.

Ignacio Liunoras, who has two kids at the middle school, echoed the Sheriff's office statements.

"I praise not only the students that reported it, but the parents that taught them to be aware of their surroundings and be aware of any dangers or unusual activity in the school."

Security at the Villages Charter Middle School was expected to increase Friday.
Click for more from Fox 35 Orlando.

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Florida sheriff's deputies foil alleged mass shooting plot at middle school

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Two Florida teenagers were arrested Thursday for allegedly planning an orchestrated mass shooting at their Orlando-area middle school. Local news reports said that one of the the two planned to drop a pencil during gym class to signal to the other to begin shooting.

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Florida Airport Shooting Suspect Indicted on 22 Counts.

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Get the latest breaking news across the U.S. on ABCNews.com

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Israel takes steps to decriminalize marijuana use

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woman lives 6 days without a lung while awaiting a transplant due to her cystic fibrosis

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The Burlington, Ontario, woman was was so sick, she could not speak for herself.

"I was unconscious at this point and had been for some time," Melissa Benoit said. "So (my family) made the decision based on my previous wishes -- just knowing who I am."

Chris Benoit remembers the moment of decision in April. He, Melissa's mom, dad and uncle all spoke at once. "It didn't take very long for us to insist that Melissa would want to go right to the end and fight with experimental surgery," he said.

In fact, Melissa Benoit, then 32, had been suffering for years. A cystic fibrosis patient, she had been struggling with an on-again, off-again infection that had ravaged her lungs over the course of three years. An inherited disorder, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices, and causes damage to the lungs, gastrointestinal system and other organs of the body.

She'd been taking antibiotics intravenously, but then she came down with the flu, which triggered coughing fits so terrible, she fractured her ribs.

"They thought they'd just do a quick switcheroo with antibiotics," she said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The last day I remember was Easter Sunday 2016, where I was waiting for an ICU bed."

While she was unconscious, the infection could not be controlled, so in early April, she was transferred -- sedated and on a ventilator -- to Toronto General Hospital's Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

She was suffering from "severe bacterial infection involving her lungs, and the bacteria was very drug-resistant, so despite being on antibiotics, it was not very well-controlled," said Dr. Atul Humar, director of the transplant program at Toronto General Hospital and president of the Canadian Society of Transplantation. Humar was not directly involved in Benoit's care.

Drowning in the blood and pus that filled her lungs, she had been gasping for breath -- grasping for life -- for days. It was clear Benoit needed a lung transplant, but a conventional ventilator was not enough to help her breathe until donor lungs became available.

To help her breathe and to gain more time, physicians placed her on Extra-Corporeal Lung Support, a temporary life-support medical device often used to help bridge patients waiting for a transplant.

Amanda Spriel, a perfusionist at Toronto General who was involved in the procedure, explained that this machine functions as the lungs normally do. It drains blood from the body, oxygenates it and removes the carbon dioxide, and then pumps the cleaned blood back into the patient.

For other patients waiting for a lung donor, this machine is enough to help them survive. In Benoit's case, her condition only worsened.

The infection took over her lungs, spilled into her bloodstream and caused septic shock, she said, adding that it "meant they couldn't do a lung transplant. You cannot transplant someone who is in septic shock."

She would die if nothing was done.

Conferring with her family, a "radical decision" was made, said Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, surgeon-in-chief at University Health Network. "Because her lungs were so infected, we took both lungs out ... and that had never been done before."

Historic and historical

Though radical, the idea "makes scientific sense," Humar said. "We know that when you have infections anywhere in the body, if you can remove the source of the infection, it's often a good way to treat the infection."

These days, because excellent antibiotics can deal with most infections, doctors no longer resort to this practice, he explained: "Certainly, in historical times, surgery was used for treatment of severe infections."

Despite the experimental nature of this surgery, Toronto General was certainly the perfect place to try it. The world's first successful single lung transplant and the world's first successful double lung transplant had both been performed there in 1983, Humar said. He explained that the hospital had a big investment in transplantation and "a very large multidisciplinary team of talented people."

In fact, the surgical team had been discussing the possibility of such a procedure for several years before Benoit landed in their ward. They'd seen how patients with cystic fibrosis sometimes developed lung infections and septic shock while waiting for a donor lung.

In Benoit's case, once her lung infection became resistant to all medications, it was clear this hypothetical surgery would be her only chance.

A team of 13, led by Keshavjee, entered the operating room and removed her lungs in a nine-hour procedure.

Engorged with pus and mucus, her lungs had become as hard as footballs, Keshavjee said.

Once they'd removed her lungs, the surgical team put a Novalung in on the right side of her heart to work with the Extra-Corporeal Lung Support machine in replacing respiratory function, Keshavjee said. Novalung is a lung support system that oxygenates the blood andis typically used to support patients with failing lungs before they've been removed.

"Obviously, it was a very difficult and a very challenging decision, because there were a lot of unknowns as to whether it would even be technically possible, but theoretically and physiologically, it made sense that it should work," he said. "We were happy that we could pull it off -- the first step of getting her stabilized on the devices and the second step of getting her to and through a lung transplant, which is not a small operation."

A 'night and day' change

"I was ... brought back up to the ICU with an empty chest cavity, except for my heart," Benoit said. Yet, within hours of the radical surgery, she began to improve. No longer needing blood pressure medication, most of her organs showed signs of repair.

"The sepsis got better," she said, and she was put back on the lung transplant wait list.

"I waited six days before receiving my perfect pair of donor lungs," said Benoit, who describes her new lungs as "night and day" compared with her original lungs.

"I've never had the experience of breathing before," she said. "I was always feeling like I was breathing through a straw."

Cystic fibrosis will not recur in her transplanted lungs, according to her doctors, who say this is significant since many people with the disease die from infected lungs. However, she still has the genetics of cystic fibrosis, which can affect other systems in her body, including the digestive system.

"She has a very good prognosis," Keshavjee said. "The lungs are working well, she's gone through rehabilitation, and now she's walking around and living a more normal life and taking her daughter to school."

"When you measure success of something this dramatic, I think it's important to show that it is a success. Prolonging somebody's life for 20 days isn't really a meaningful thing in the long run, but really getting them back to where they're being a mom and really doing things, that's the more important part."

As far as Humar is concerned, the surgery is nothing less than "a remarkable achievement ... and the world's first."

Surgery, but also rehabilitation, was an achievement for Benoit, who could not lift her arms, her head or even a finger after being immobile in a hospital bed for so many days. She is thankful that her physiotherapists -- who brought her back so she is able to walk again -- did not give up on her.

Oddly, Benoit's worst moment came after she went home: She saw a video clip of her husband and her daughter, Olivia, 2, in the ICU. In order to do a transplant, doctors needed Benoit to give a sign that she was still alive.

"They needed to show that there was somebody in there," she said.

"And my daughter ... was sitting on the edge of my bed yelling, 'Mummy, wake up!' Repeatedly, over and over again, and my husband's there telling her, 'You tell Mummy -- wake up Mummy!' And I think that was the hardest part of the entire process -- knowing that that had to take place," Benoit said through tears.

In that moment, she showed she was alive by sticking out her tongue, a little movement that enabled her doctors to go forth with the radical plan.

Benoit has more medical procedures ahead, and no specific plans for the future. She's just happy to have one. "Things are starting to get back to normal, and it hasn't been normal, in a very long time so it's nice," she said.

Her husband also feels thankful for her renewed health, and is urging people to become organ donors. In Canada, people can sign up online, while residents of the United States can check each state's donor procedures here.

"She's here with us today, and it's just a fantastic day," Chris Benoit said at a news conference Wednesday. "I urge you ... go on the (organ) donor's site and register or update your consent."

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Awaiting transplant, mom lives 6 days without lungs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Burlington, Ontario, woman was was so sick, she could not speak for herself. "I was unconscious at this point and had been for some time," Melissa Benoit said. "So (my family) made the decision based on my previous wishes -- just knowing who I am."

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an estimated 1/3 of the 100,000 Holocaust survivors live at or below the poverty line

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An estimated one-third of the 100,000 survivors in the country live at or below the poverty line, according to The Blue Card, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to survivors of the genocide that killed more than 6 million Jews in Europe.

Compared to the 10% of Americans age 65 and older who live in poverty, as reported by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Holocaust survivors are a much greater risk group.

"We're dying out. In another 10 years there won't be a Holocaust survivor left," said Magda Rosenberg, who lost her entire family at the Auschwitz concentration camp in occupied Poland. Now 88, Rosenberg lives in Long Island, New York.

Of the 50,000survivors residing in the New York Metropolitan area, 52% are considered "poor," living below 150% of federal poverty guidelines, or an individual annual income of less than $18,000, according to Selfhelp, an organization that has assisted victims of Nazi crimes since 1936.

"It's a shocking statistic," said Hanan Simhon, vice president of Holocaust Survivor Services at Selfhelp.

Survivors from the former Soviet Union have it particularly bad, he said, with 80% of them living in poverty. "They came here much later in their life at the fall of the Soviet Union, with no Social Security, pension or any type of supporting income for retirement."

As they age, this last generation of survivors incurs increasingly complex financial needs.

The poverty is due to a number of factors, said Masha Pearl, executive director of The Blue Card.

"They tend to be very isolated, losing their families during the war and then either did not or could not have children," said Pearl. "Many started working in menial jobs because they did not have the language skills. Today they are in their 80s and 90s and it is beyond difficult to make ends meet."

Medical experiments performed on Jews held in Nazi concentration camps have also put survivors at higher risk for costly diseases, such as cancer.

Sami Steigmann spent his early childhood years in a Nazi labor camp. Years later, he was told by his father that he was subjected to medical experiments, which still cause him pain today at 77. "I'm a proud person, I never wanted to reach out for help," he said.

But after years of struggle and "getting involved with the wrong people," he found himself homeless. "I'm not a street person, I wanted to commit suicide," he said. It was only then when he agreed to be recognized as a survivor and mentally disabled, receive reparations from Germany and move into subsidized housing.

"Many are embarrassed to be in this situation, feeling as if they've failed twice -- not being able to save their family and now having to turn for help," said Pearl. "People with food stamps in the grocery store are trembling and afraid that someone will see them. Many of them wait to come forward because they are too ashamed."

When he couldn't afford a hearing aid, Steigmann once again reached out for assistance from Jewish organizations.

Today, Steigmann lives in a tiny studio apartment in New York. The building was recently bought and he will soon need to vacate the place he's called home for the last 20 years. Steigmann, who volunteersas a tutor teaching students about the Holocaust, fears he will no longer be able to participate in such activities, which he believes have been lifesaving.

The Blue Card, which serves 2,500 Holocaust survivors nationwide, experienced a 20% increase in requests for assistance in 2016. Their latest survey found the greatest needs for financial assistance were for home care, food and utilities. Of those they service, 67% cannot leave their homes without assistance and 78% have difficulty performing daily activities such as dressing, washing and cooking, according to the survey.

The majority of The Blue Card's dependents -- 77% -- are women.

Rosenberg, who is well past retirement age, said she still works to help herself, both mentally and economically. "It helps me cope, but I also need to work to supplement my income," she said.

She has been the sole provider for her household since her husband left 25 years ago, and today depends on the financial aid and dental services she receives from The Blue Card.

Rosenberg lost an arm in a German munitions factory, but otherwise is in relatively good shape, and said she is fortunate to be living independently. She is concerned, however, she won't be able to afford home care when the time comes, and that a proper nursing home for survivors does not exist.

Simhon of Selfhelp said they have 1,400 residents in 10 affordable housing sites throughout the New York area and a waiting list of 4,000. Some 250 survivors are on a waiting list in Brooklyn for a social worker to be assigned to them and three to four new clients register each day.

"These are limited resources for a limited time -- there won't be new Holocaust survivors taking their place," Simhon said. "The cost to provide services is going up and the needs are more intense than ever."

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holocaust remembrance day: a third of survivors in the us are poor - cnn

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On Holocaust Remembrance Day: A third of survivors in the US are poor

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An estimated one-third of the 100,000 survivors in the country live at or below the poverty line, according to The Blue Card, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to survivors of the genocide that killed more than 6 million Jews in Europe.

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China's new microwave weapon can disable missiles and paralyze tanks.

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Mr. Kohl - British PM Theresa May’s having tea and crumpets with Trump today. She’ll be the first foreign leader to meet with him since he took office. 

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Mr. Kohl - British PM Theresa May’s having tea and crumpets with Trump today. She’ll be the first foreign leader to meet with him since he took office. 

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In her first diplomatic visit to the United States, British Prime Minister Theresa May applauded President Donald Trump's new approach to trade and foreign policy, but also warned against trusting Russia and abandoning long held alliances.

May's plaudits to Congressional Republicans gathered for a retreat in Philadelphia came on the same day as Trump's administration set off a diplomatic spat with Mexico. The president's stated plans to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and to possibly levy a 20 percent import tax on the country's goods caused Mexico's president to cancel a planned White House visit and meeting with Trump.

In the speech, May also touted Britain's "special relationship" with the U.S. and all the fruit it has borne. The United Nations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and NATO, she said, were all products of the countries' long friendship and desire to build world peace - an ideal that stretches back to before the First World War.

"Some of these organizations are in need of reform and renewal to make them relevant to our needs today," May said. "But we should be proud of the role our two nations - working in partnership - played in bringing them into being, and in bringing peace and prosperity to billions of people as a result."

She added that it was unacceptable and unfair for the U.S. to take the brunt of the security concerns on behalf of the world - a nod to concerns Trump raised on the campaign trail - but plainly stated that Britain has always met its defense commitments.

May detailed how much the U.K. spends on defense and overseas development as well as where the country has stationed troops.

Throughout the speech, the British Prime Minister often turned to the example of President Ronald Reagan and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who worked together through the end of the Cold War. Their actions, she said, would be helpful when considering a relationship with Russia.

"When it comes to Russia, as so often it is wise to turn to the example of President Reagan who - during his negotiations with his opposite number Mikhail Gorbachev - used to abide by the adage 'trust but verify.' With President Putin, my advice is to 'engage but beware,'" May said.
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May then doubled down on Britain's support to defeat ISIS. She urged focus on stopping radicalization; called the Iran nuclear deal "vitally important for regional security"; discussed Brexit and Britain's continued bond with the European Union; and she emphasized the importance of the U.S.-U.K. trade relationship.

May returned to the subject of Reagan and referenced the Founding Fathers, underscoring the significance of Britain's longstanding friendship with the U.S.
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"As we renew the promise of our nations to make them stronger at home," she said, "in the words of President Reagan as the 'sleeping giant stirs' - so let us renew the relationship that can lead the world towards the promise of freedom and prosperity marked out in parchment by those ordinary citizens 240 years ago."

May is scheduled to pay a visit to Arlington National Cemetery Friday morning, followed by a meeting with Trump at the White House in the afternoon.

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UK PM applauds Trump, but urges caution on Russia in speech to GOP

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Theresa May applauded Trump's new approach to trade and foreign policy on the same day his administration set off a diplomatic spat with Mexico.

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