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Hadassah Spokesperson on 5 June, 2025
Soldier Fighting in Gaza Saves Young Child’s Life by Donating Bone Marrow
Jerusalem, 5 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- A soldier fighting in Gaza has saved the life of a five year old girl battling leukaemia, by donating his bone marrow.
The 21 year old, named only as ‘A’, described the deed as an ‘honor’ and readily paused his duty for the procedure, after medics discovered he was a rare match.
Upon enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), recruits give samples and their details are kept on file to search for potential donors.
When ‘A’ came up as a match, he was called in for tests and found to be compatible, delighting doctors.
‘A’ said: “We were just about to leave Gaza, and I was already on the truck taking us out. Suddenly, I got a call from the bone marrow coordinator at Hadassah…
“As soon as I left Gaza, the first call I made was to my father, and I told him about the call from Hadassah. At that moment, I didn’t fully understand the immense privilege — so he added his brother, who works in the healthcare system, to the call.
“They were both incredibly excited and explained to me in depth what it meant. They said it’s an amazing, life-saving act — a huge mitzvah. That’s when I realized the magnitude and said, ‘It’s an honor to do this.’”
It was several weeks after ‘A’ completed the tests that the extraction took place, due to medical complications of the recipient.
‘A’ went on to recall how he was plucked from the middle of army operations in Gaza, to give his donation instead: “I told my commander that I was a match for a bone marrow donation, and he was really happy and enthusiastic.
“Then, another call came from Hadassah. This time, the coordinators…tracked me down through my commander, since we were actively deployed, and told me it was time to come in for the procedure.
“Hadassah also contacted the battalion commander, who approved my release for such an important mission and I arrived at Hadassah.”
‘A’ is from Kfar Tavor, Northern Israel, and is enlisted in the Golani reconnaissance unit of the IDF.
Describing his recovery journey, he commented: “I couldn’t be more fulfilled. The knowledge that I saved a life is echoing in my heart. I’ve had a constant smile on my face for days.” He added that he would love to meet the family if given the chance.
Bone Marrow Donation Coordinator at Hadassah Ein Kerem, Eden Dahan described the process: “The sample is preserved in the registry for many years, allowing soldiers to potentially save lives even long after their enlistment.
“When a match is found between a patient suffering from an immune system-related illness and a donor in the registry, we contact the donor and provide in-depth explanations about the donation process at Hadassah Ein Kerem.
“A few months ago, a medical center reached out to the registry seeking a bone marrow donation for a five-year-old girl with leukemia, and ‘A’, who was in our donor registry, was a perfect genetic match for her — a rare and complete match.”
Ofra Alkobi, Director of the Hadassah Bone Marrow Registry commented: “IDF soldiers join the registry with a genuine desire to save lives.
“The younger generation of Israel is truly proving itself as the victorious generation, a generation that chose to serve the country and, when given the additional chance to save a life for someone they’ve never met — they show up, wholeheartedly…This is truly a source of national pride.”
Hundreds of bone marrow operations are completed annually throughout Israel, to treat various conditions and cancers, but some matches are harder to find depending on the leukocyte antigens in white blood cells of the patient in need.
Currently, only about 40 per cent of those in need are successful in finding a match.
