For Israel, the new year of 2009 began sadly with the outbreak of a war in Gaza, a military reaction to the unrelenting barrage of rockets fired daily by Hamas at the south of Israel. Our soldiers, highly motivated to stop the suffering in the South, went off to war. Though lasting only three weeks, Israel found itself once again weeping because soldiers died and were wounded in battle. Rabin Medical Center received these wounded, some so critically that there was little hope at first that they would survive.

Ben Spitzer, only 19 and in the Golani Brigade, arrived by helicopter unconscious, suffering from multiple critical wounds to his arms and legs and a severe head injury. He underwent several surgeries and part of his right arm needed to be amputated. One day later, Aharon Karov, a 22 year old yeshiva student and a 2nd-Lieutenant in the Israeli Paratroopers, who had gotten married only two days before the war began, underwent six operations during the course of 14 hours: on his head, his eyes, ear-nose-throat, mouth and jaw, chest, and an orthopedic operation; all these before being brought to the Intensive Care Unit.

Their recoveries are now considered miraculous. Prof. Pierre Singer, head of the Intensive Care Unit, remarked how amazed the staff was by their speedy improvement. On February 3rd, after lying in rooms side by side in the Intensive Care Unit for almost a month, both Ben and Aharon were transferred to a rehabilitation facility where they will continue their journey back to life.

A total of 20 soldiers were treated at Rabin Medical Center. Their families are truly grateful for the amazing care of our trauma team, our neurosurgeons, our orthopedic surgeons led by Prof. Moshe Salai, and the entire staff of the Intensive Care Department led by Prof. Pierre Singer.