Six Israelis who regained their eyesight due to the generosity of recent victims of Palestinian terror shootings had the opportunity to express their gratitude to the families of the donors in person on Sunday. The parents and siblings of Yagel and Hillel Yaniv met with three of the four individuals who received the donated corneas from the murdered brothers at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. Likewise, Rabbi Leo Dee and his teenage children Tali, Keren, and Yehuda met with the two recipients of corneas donated by Lucy Dee, the wife and mother of the family, at Hadassah Medical Center.
Lucy Dee was critically injured in a terror attack while traveling with her daughters Maia and Rina in the northern Jordan Valley on April 7. Sadly, she passed away from her injuries three days later. Maia, 20, and Rina, 15, were killed at the scene of the attack. Although Maia possessed an organ donor card, the circumstances of her death prevented her organs from being donated.
Hallel Yaniv, 22, and Yagel Yaniv, 20, residents of the Har Bracha settlement in the northern West Bank, were ambushed and killed in their car while passing through the nearby Palestinian town of Huwara on February 26. The brothers had organ donor cards, and their parents, Esti and Shalom Yaniv, made the decision to donate their corneas, which was announced on March 8. Corneas can be stored for 1-2 weeks, and the tissue from a single cornea can be utilized for multiple recipients. Beilinson Hospital carries out 70% of the transplants in Israel.
Ziona Zalzberg, one of the cornea recipients, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Yaniv family, saying, “I sincerely thank you for the light you have brought back into my eyes. I appreciate your noble spirit and courageous decision to make a difference that will forever impact my life. The gift you have given me will never be forgotten.” Zalzberg, a 68-year-old woman from Migdal Haemek who loves traveling, had been unable to travel independently due to vision problems, making her reliant on her family for daily tasks. With her new cornea, she has regained her independence.
The other recipients present were Ron Carmeli, a 66-year-old grandfather from Petah Tikva, and Itzhak Buskila, a 42-year-old husband and father of three from Tirat Carmel. Buskila had impaired vision in both eyes prior to the transplant, which made it challenging for him to work in warehouse logistics at a major food distributor. With his new cornea, he can continue providing for his family by pursuing the job he enjoys. Tal Almos, a 44-year-old husband and father of three from Atlit who lost his vision two years ago due to an accident, was the fourth recipient.
Shalom Yaniv expressed his wish for the recipients to perceive the world through the lens of goodness and happiness, just as Yagel and Hillel did. He stated, “Their remarkable eyes will continue to illuminate our world through these four recipients. It gives us hope that even after their departure, they continue to assist others.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
