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Stories of Friendship and Heritage

organ donations

From time to time, stories of fraternity and friendship cross geographical borders, and overcome conflicts of the everyday life. Sometimes, in cases which unfortunately are very rare, the belief in human life as a supreme value can overwhelm hatred and prejudice. One of these rare events occurred in Israel, on the last week of September, 2004. 

 

It all started on Friday the 24th of September. Mohammad Salhout, a 9 year old Palestinian child living in the village Jabel-Mukaber, left his house that morning in order to visit the grocery store nearby. On his way to the grocery store, as he was walking a street cross, he was hit by an irresponsible driver. Mohammad was badly injured. His parents stormed him to the hospital.

 

 As Mohammad reached the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, he was in critical condition and unconscious. He had trouble breathing and his brain was barely functioning. The medical staff did everything they could in order to save his life, but the efforts led to desolation. As the evening hours arrived, the doctors told Mohammad's parents the horrible news – their son is in a situation of brain death.

 

Mohammad's brain could no longer recover, but his interior organs – his heart, lungs, kidneys and liver were still functioning. In a matter of days, perhaps hours, his body would be entirely dead. It is impossible to imagine the pain and sorrow his parents were going through at those moments.

 

But Mohammad's parents didn't give up on life. Their son was dead, but many other people, at those very moments, were still alive, and needed help. After some thinking, Mohammad's parents came to an important decision. They decided to donate their son's organs, in order to save the lives of others.

 

On that same night, more than five Israelis were saved, after Mohammad's organs were installed in them, in a process which occurred at the "Sheeba" hospital in Ramat-Gan. Mohammad's heart was implanted inside the body of a 6-years-old boy from Tel-Aviv, who suffered from heart failure and was in great danger.

 

This story, a terrible tragedy which led to an amazing act of good will, was published in newspapers all around the world, as proof to the fact that good will and the love of life, are stronger than death, hatred and war.