Deadly riots in the mixed Jewish and Arab city of Lod claimed the life of 56-year-old Jewish electrician Yigal Yehoshua on May 17. He died of head injuries sustained when he was struck by a brick on his way home from a Torah dedication ceremony. But his tragic death led to a medical miracle, as Yehoshua’s organs saved four lives.
Two Muslim surgeons at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem successfully transplanted one of Yehoshua’s kidneys into a Christian Arab mother of six.
“Yigal will go straight to heaven, to a better place,” said the recipient, 58-year-old Randa Aweis, after her surgery.
“Here we must all, Christians, Muslims and Jews, strive for peace. All of us. I can’t wait to host Yigal’s family in my home,” added Aweis, who had been awaiting a kidney transplant for nine years.
Dr. Abed Khalaileh, director of Hadassah’s Kidney Transplantation Service, performed the surgery, together with Dr. Ashraf Imam.
In an interview with Channel 12 news, Khalaileh thanked the family of the donor “in what was such an appalling situation,” and expressed his wish for health and peace for all.
“Medicine in general and transplantation, in particular, symbolizes humanity,” he said. “In this case, a woman received a new lease on life.”
Yehoshua’s other organs saved additional lives.
His second kidney was transplanted into a 67-year-old retired career soldier, his liver into a 22-year-old woman, and his lungs into a 69-year-old man. Each of these patients had no other hope for survival.
This article was first published by Israel21c.
