'Noble, extraordinary act': Seven-year-old receives life-saving transplant from fallen IDF soldier

A seven-year-old girl, Bel Finkelstein, received a life-saving liver transplant from a fallen IDF soldier, Sergeant First Class Shahar Gamla, who was killed in Lebanon. Gamla's family donated his organs, saving six lives. The transplant took place at Rambam Health Care Campus, with the liver lobe transported to Clalit-Schneider for the procedure. Bel's mother called the donation a 'noble and extraordinary act.'

A seven-year-old girl, Bel Finkelstein, received a life-saving liver transplant last month from a fallen IDF soldier, Sergeant First Class Shahar Gamla, who was killed while deployed in Lebanon. Gamla was critically wounded by an explosive drone in Lebanon and passed away from his injuries in June. After his death, Gamla's family made the decision to donate his organs, ultimately saving a total of six lives, including that of young Bel Finkelstein, who was born with a rare genetic congenital syndrome and had been waiting desperately on the organ transplant list for six months. The procedure took place at Rambam Health Care Campus, where a lobe of Shahar's liver was harvested and immediately transported to Clalit-Schneider. There, a surgical team performed an intensive, hours-long transplant operation. Following the successful surgery, Finkelstein was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where she received care until her recent discharge home. Gamla's family visited both her and her parents at Clalit-Schneider before leaving the hospital. Bel's mother, Yana, expressed profound gratitude, calling the donation a 'noble and extraordinary act.' Dr. Michael Gurevich, Head of the Liver Transplantation Unit at Clalit-Schneider, described the emotional complexity of the operation and thanked the family for their decision.