Grapevine: Bone marrow hero

MOST JEWS, whether religious or not, are familiar with the Talmudic precept that whoever saves a single life is as one who has saved an entire world. But what happens when you’re a soldier in Gaza defending many lives and you’re called on to give a bone marrow donation?

That’s what happened to 21-year-old Givati Brigade soldier Matan Amir. On the day of his induction, he had given a saliva sample to Hadassah Medical Center’s bone marrow registry on his base. It had never occurred to him that he would be contacted a few months later and told he was a match for a three-year-old with leukemia, whose life he could save.

It wasn’t easy to locate him, as he was involved in heavy combat duty. Tzila Bargil Ben-Hanan, coordinator and locater of bone marrow transplants at Hadassah Ein Kerem, tried to phone him and even contacted the soldier’s commanders.

When Amir came out of Gaza for a brief respite, he checked his phone and saw that Bargil Ben-Hanan had called him. He called her back, and when she explained that he was a genetic match to the little boy, plus the process involved, he immediately agreed.

With the approval and assistance of IDF authorities, a meeting was arranged for Amir with Prof. Reuven Or, a hematology specialist and medical director of Hadassah’s bone marrow registry. During their meeting, Or explained the process and significance of the donation. In this case, it was a small child in dire need.

It’s important for bone marrow donors to know that their donation is not harmful and may even be beneficial to them in that it enriches their stem cells.

In retrospect, Amir says that he did not have to debate with himself. “It’s ultimately about saving someone’s life, and in my case the life of a small child. At moments like this, there’s no hesitation.”

Or sees Amir as a true hero. “In my view, every donor is a hero, and Matan is a hero in every sense – saving lives at Hadassah and in the military,” he says.

The donation was successful, though Amir had to refrain from physical activity for a week or two, which did not really bother him.

As yet, he has not met the youngster whose life he saved. Not every donor meets the recipient. It depends on the willingness on both sides. With regard to Hadassah, they can meet only after a year has elapsed and the patient is fully restored to health.

Meanwhile, Amir is happy that he was able to make a meaningful contribution to enable a little boy to have a future.

Kidney transplant in Israel

■ THERE ARE several bone marrow registries in Israel, and they cooperate with each other in trying to find a genetic match for anyone whose life depends on a bone marrow donation.

The case is similar with regard to kidney transplants.

Gift of Life, or Matnat Haim as it is called in Hebrew, was founded by (the late) Rabbi Yeshayahu Haber after his own life was saved by someone who donated a kidney to him.

A brochure recently published by the organization indicates that just as reservists from the National Religious camp are among the first to volunteer for duty, even if they haven’t received a call-up notice, members of National Religious communities are among the first to donate kidneys. Among the examples were three sisters, who each donated a kidney; and a husband and wife who each donated a kidney.

Healthy people can function very well with only one kidney. All the donors interviewed said it was a rewarding experience to know that they had helped save a life.

Prime Minister's Residence construction

■ PEOPLE WALKING along Balfour Street last week may have seen construction cranes looming over the roof of what remains of the official residence of the prime minister, even though the premises are currently gutted and unoccupied. But work is going on, suggesting that former resident Benjamin Netanyahu may be moving back because the fiscal toll of the war on Israel’s economy makes it unfeasible to go ahead with plans for building a new and larger residence in a non-residential area.

Given the spread and speed of urban renewal, it would be difficult to find a non-residential area in Jerusalem, especially as many commercial areas now have additional residential floors built on top of shops.

To get back to the house on the corner of Balfour and Smolenskin, anyone looking upward will see what appears to be a new white fence on the roof. Whether this is scaffolding for an additional floor or simply an extra security precaution is difficult to tell from ground level, but work seems to be going on daily.

Whether it’s Netanyahu moving back from his private residence on Azza Street or whether some successor will be the next occupant, some of the neighbors will be pleased in that car owners can reclaim their parking spots on Balfour and Smolenskin streets. Without the security barriers that previously existed, people with no relationship to either street are parking their cars not only on the road but also on the sidewalks, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass.

If it’s Netanyahu who returns to his old haunts, his neighbors on Azza Street will be thrilled to be free of the frequent demonstrations that disturb them.

Simchat Torah dancing

■ IN LAST week’s Grapevine column, an item about the Second Hakafot in Liberty Bell Park on the night after Simchat Torah mentioned that there was no reason for women to be denied the right to dance with a Torah scroll. According to Alan Weichselbaum, one of the sponsors of the event, women were given a Torah scroll to dance with.

It’s possible that there were other groups of female dancers who were not within eye view of this writer, and who did dance with a Torah scroll, but that was not the case with large circles of female dancers closest to the stage and within the immediate line of vision.

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