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Israeli soldier leaves Gaza to save a life with bone marrow donation

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An IDF soldier left the battlefield to save a stranger’s life, says he has a “smile on his face that hasn’t gone away for days.”

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

An IDF soldier received an unexpected phone call several months ago while serving in the Gaza Strip — a notification from a Jerusalem hospital that he had the opportunity to save the life of a fellow Israeli via bone marrow donation.

The soldier, identified in Hebrew-language media outlet by his first initial, A., was found to be a rare genetic match for a person suffering from serious illness.

Because A., a Golani Brigade soldier, had given a sample of his saliva upon enlisting in the IDF, Hadassah Hospital was able to identify him as a potential bone marrow donor for the sick patient.

A Hadassah Hospital coordinator explained to A. that he had the chance to save the person’s life, and A. jumped at the opportunity.

After being granted leave from the army, A., who is from the town of Kfar Tavor in northern Israel, traveled to Jerusalem to undergo extensive testing that would ensure his compatibility with the patient.

The tests confirmed that he was an excellent match, but due to the patient’s deteriorating health, the bone marrow transplant had to be delayed.

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A. returned to his unit the Gaza Strip. Several months later, his commander received a phone call stating that A. needed to leave the battlefield and travel to Jerusalem immediately for the procedure.

The surgery was a success, and A. is currently waiting for medical clearance to return to his unit in Gaza.

“There is no doubt about it. The knowledge that I saved a life is so powerful, I have a smile on my face that hasn’t gone away for several days,” A. told Mako.

“The team that accompanied me at Hadassah was amazing and provided information, always answered questions, and did everything in a good spirit. I always felt that I was in good hands,” he said.

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