Israeli Man Becomes First Altruistic Donor of Two Different Organs
Israel, a 56-year-old father of eight, has donated a kidney to a stranger years after giving part of his liver to his daughter. He is the first in Israel to complete two live organ donations altruistically.
A 56-year-old Israeli man, identified as Israel, has achieved a rare medical milestone by becoming one of the very few people worldwide, and the first in Israel, to altruistically donate two different vital organs while alive.
Eleven years ago, Israel, a resident of Elazar, donated a portion of his liver to save his then-two-year-old daughter, who was suffering from a severe liver disease. The complex eight-hour surgery was performed in Belgium. Today, his daughter is a healthy 13-year-old.
From Military Service to Altruistic Giving
After serving over 650 days in the IDF Intelligence Corps reserves during the ongoing war, Israel felt a strong inner drive to perform another meaningful act. He contacted the "Matnat Chaim" non-profit organization to inquire about kidney donation, disclosing his medical history.
To his surprise, Ministry of Health protocols permitted a kidney donation despite his previous liver surgery. He underwent rigorous physical and mental evaluations at the Sheba Medical Center.
Israel shared his motivation:
"I have an advantage over others. I see every day what it means to save a life because my daughter is sitting right next to me. We live the meaning of organ donation. When the Ministry of Health committee asked why I was doing this, I replied that I know what it means to grant life."
A Rare Surgical Achievement
Two days after the successful surgery, Israel met the recipient—a father of two in his 40s from central Israel who urgently required a transplant.
Dr. Ronen Ginea, a transplant surgeon at Sheba Medical Center, highlighted the significance of the procedure:
"Donating two organs from the same living donor is an extremely rare event globally and among the first in Israel. This patient chose to donate a kidney altruistically through 'Matnat Chaim' after previously donating part of his liver. To our knowledge, he is the first in Israel to do so altruistically."
Dr. Ginea noted that despite the surgical complexity involved due to the patient's prior major liver operation, the kidney extraction proceeded smoothly. He also recalled a touching moment when the surgical team entered the operating room to find a box of chocolates and a thank-you note left by Israel and his family, expressing gratitude to the medical staff before the procedure had even begun.
