On Thursday, the family of Major (res.) Dor Zimmel, killed in a Hezbollah missile strike on the Western Galilee, were able to listen to his heart beating in the chest of Marcelo Gutheilf, 57, where it had been transplanted. They also met with the family of eight-month-old Liel Abai, who received his liver at Schneider Children's Medical Center.
During this initial meeting, Dor's parents, Sharon and Alon, his twin sister Lior, and his fiancée Shir Sagiv, were introduced to Gutheilf, now living with Dor's heart. Lior touched everyone when she remarked, "Your heart is that of twins." Overwhelmed by the moment, Gutheilf, who is himself a father to twins, expressed his gratitude to Zimmel's family. "Thanks to you, I am standing here after 10 days. When I hear people say that Dor Zimmel had died. It’s not true because he is here. He is alive. He lives here and within six other people."
"I told Marcelo that he is receiving the heart of a lion. It beats and sounds like a lion. It feels as if Dor is right here." Alon Zimmel, Dor's father, said. "It's moving. This is the first recipient we've met. It feels good." Sharon, his mom added. "Well done for being on your feet. We would love to meet your children too." she said as she emphasized the importance of organ donation. "Our message is that everyone should sign an organ donor card; it saves lives."
Reserve Major Dor Zimmel faught for his life for five days after being struck by a missile at the community center on the eve of El-Aramsheh near the Lebanese border. His organs were donated and saved multiple lives: his heart and one kidney were transplanted at Rabin Medical Center, his lungs were given to Kfir Zar, a 24-year-old soldier, in a ceremony at Sheba Medical Center, and his liver and the other kidney were transplanted into a 68-year-old man at Hadassah Medical Center. Additionally, the life of an eight-month-old baby named Liel Abai was saved last night due to a liver donation from Dor.
Marcelo Gutheilf, a 57-year-old chemist from Be'er Yaakov specializing in cosmetics, shared his personal journey: "I have been waiting for a heart transplant for a year and a half after four open-heart surgeries. Until two weeks ago, I couldn't walk and had to use a wheelchair from the ward here. Now I can stand and walk." He acknowledged the mixed emotions of receiving his transplant: "I am happy about the surgery and the new life I will lead, but it is hard for me that it comes from Dor Zimmel, a soldier who defended us with his body and saved people through his noble donation. Thanks to him and his family, I received a new life. I want to say a huge thank you, and what's certain is that I will continue the strength of your son. I am part of you, your family, just as you are now my family."
Hospital head administrator, Dr. Lena Koren Feldman, said: "Dor Zimmel, your son, was a hero. He was a hero in his life as an IDF soldier who saved the lives of Israeli civilians, and he was a hero in his death, as the organs he donated saved the lives of Israeli civilians. This is the mutual responsibility our country is founded upon. Since the beginning of the war, we have treated nearly a thousand wounded at Rabin Medical Center, and during this challenging period, there are moments like these, where the terrible sadness over the death of a combat soldier mixes with the hope it gives to a patient whose life is in danger and can be saved. We thank the Zimmel family for their noble donation and wish Marcelo good health from the bottom of our hearts."
The miraculous survival of baby Liel
During a gathering at Schneider Children's Medical Center, Liel Abai's family, including her mother Troya and father Tamna, along with other relatives, wore white shirts adorned with images of Liel and Dor. The shirts bore the heartfelt message: "You were a hero and as such shall remain. Thank you." The family's tears flowed continuously as they embraced the Zimmel family. Sharon, Dor’s mother, handed a lion plush toy to Liel’s family and shared, "We brought Liel a little lion so that our Dor will always protect her, strong as a lion."
Liel Abai, who was born with a liver disease that progressed to complete liver failure, was in grave danger. The liver donated from the late Dor Zimmel was transplanted into her body, successfully saving her life.
Speaking for the family, Liel’s aunt expressed deep gratitude, stating, "Your family has joined our extended family and has become an inseparable part of us. How can we thank you for the nobility of spirit in choosing to donate at your most difficult moment? We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this honorable deed.
"Thank you for allowing our precious Liel to take her first steps into a life full of hope and belief. Thank you for enabling Liel to grow and attend kindergarten like all children her age, and for us to have the privilege of seeing her walking with a backpack on her back on the path to the first grade. Thanks to you, Liel will reach military service in the IDF, and Dor will serve as a role model for her and for all soldiers. Thank you for giving our dear Liel a chance."
Liel's father, Tamna, added, "Dor continues to live through our Liel. You will forever be an inseparable part of our family. I have no words to thank you. My daughter was reborn thanks to your son."