The bond of pain: Friendship after Mexico tragedy

In a world where we often come across difficult stories, an inspiring story of two brave women - Adar Cohen and Moran Avroya - breaks out. Both faced the loss of a hand, but found in each other support, understanding, and hope for a better future.

Adar Cohen, designer of wedding and evening dresses, lost her hand in a tragic ATV accident in Mexico. "It was supposed to be a ten-minute drive," she recalls. "Suddenly I felt a strong grip on my shoulder. My kimono got caught in the gears and my hand was pulled back. When I tried to grab it, there was nothing left to grab."

After initial treatment in Mexico, Adar was flown to Israel, suffering from severe blood loss. "20 hours of flying from hell," she describes. "I had a fever and the severed hand was in a cooler."

Following the extensive publicity that Adar's accident received, Moran Avroya, an older amputee, decided to contact her. "I saw all the articles about Adar," says Moran. "It was important for me to reach her because I knew she was now in the lowest possible state. I wanted to give her this little word, the 'it will be okay', but for her to really believe it."

Moran's own story begins 11 years before meeting Adar, when she was injured in an accident in the army. "A heavy door was slammed with my left hand," she says. "For years I suffered from unbearable pain, until I decided to amputate my hand." This decision changed her life. "After the operation, I just started crying, because I didn't feel any pain. That's where I actually started to live."

The connection between the two was immediate and deep. "When I saw her it just gave me air," says Adar. "I felt that finally there is someone who understands me, understands my pain."

Today, both lead full and active lives. Adar continues to design wedding and evening dresses, and Moran works as a confectioner and manages the media of the "Next Step Organization", which helps amputees. Both climb a climbing wall and manage popular Instagram accounts, where they reveal their lives without filters.

"In terms of visibility, yes there are difficult moments," Adar admits. "But today I'm in a really good place. I won't let this injury define who I am."

Moran adds: "It must be normalized in schools, in kindergartens, for parents to talk about it with their children. That there really will be more awareness of amputees."

The relationship between the two, created as part of the Lottery's "Amit Melave" project in collaboration with the "Next Step" organization, continues to be a source of strength for both. "It's enough to see people who are like me, it's enough to have Moran, to go with her to do a climbing wall, it really helps," says Adar.

The story of Adar and Moran is a living testimony to the power of the human spirit and the importance of mutual support in dealing with life's challenges.

In collaboration with the lottery