Roni Fought Terrorists; Hadassah Doctors Fought For His Life

December 12, 2023

Roni Fought Terrorists; Hadassah Doctors Fought For His Life

Roni, 20, a Nahal Brigade soldier who was severely wounded by gunfire on October 7, was evacuated by helicopter to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem with a tourniquet placed hours earlier on his leg. Hadassah's doctors immediately jumped on the case and saved him through a series of complex surgeries.

"Roni fought the battle, and we at Hadassah fought for his life and succeeded," said Prof. Yoram Weil, director of Hadassah's Orthopedic Trauma Unit.

That Saturday, Roni left in the early morning hours for a patrol from the Sufa post where he served. While he and the team of soldiers were on the ground, a prolonged barrage of mortar shells began toward Israeli territory.

"The firing was incessant," he said. "We decided to drive quickly to the outpost, with the missiles falling next to us all along the way. The car I was driving was shaking."

During that trip, the three soldiers in the car realized that, in addition to the missile fire, there were a large number of infiltrations from the border fence. "We quickly understood that we were at war," Roni said.

After driving under fire, they reached the Sufa outpost, while at the same time, the terrorists also arrived in the area with the aim of infiltrating the base. "The terrorists were in cars and on motorcycles in front of us. There were many more of them than us, so we decided to turn around, take cover and fight them from there," he said. As they turned around to find a better location to fight, they noticed an RPG missile heading in their direction from the bushes. The missile hit their car, but they managed to get out and continue fighting. 

"After the shock from the impact, the three of us managed to get out of the car to shoot at the terrorists. After a short time, the two fighters who were with me were hit and killed: Maj. Roy Chappel and Staff Sgt. Tomer Mizrahi,” Roni said. “I was left alone in the field, facing dozens of terrorists."

While fighting alone, Roni was hit by a bullet in his right leg and sought cover, realizing the magnitude of his injury. "I jumped on one leg until I reached the bushes and hid there. I made myself a tourniquet until the bleeding stopped,” he said.

A military medic treated him while other soldiers provided cover. After eight hours of waiting, Roni was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem. Prof. Meir Liebergall, director of the Musculoskeletal Division at Hadassah, who operated on Roni immediately upon his arrival, said: "Roni arrived at the hospital with a multi-systemic injury where the significant injury was to his right leg. When we removed the tourniquet, the muscle was in bad shape, and a lot of toxic substances were released into the body. He was in mortal danger, and we decided to fight for his life and his leg."

For a week, the doctors tried to remove dead muscles and preserve what was possible from the leg, but Roni began to develop a life-threatening infection. "We made a very difficult decision. We understood that there was no escape, and we had to amputate the leg in order to save his life," said Prof. Weil. "It was important for us to insist that the amputation be below the knee so that his future functional limitation would be as minimal as possible, and on the other hand, the life of this young man was before our eyes. We, of course, did not give up."  

Roni underwent 12 surgeries by orthopedic and plastic surgery teams, during which the team of doctors managed to overcome the infectious situation and preserve the knee to be functional, which will later help him cope with the new reality. After the surgeries, Roni was hospitalized in the Orthopedic Department at Hadassah Ein Kerem,.

“He still has a long way to go in rehabilitation, and I wish him great success,” Prof. Weil said. “I have gotten to know a combat soldier who does not give up and who has taught us all what determination is, and I am sure that he will continue to do the same."

After two months of being treated by the medical staff at Hadassah Ein Kerem, Roni said goodbye with moving words: "My life was saved. I received my life back and would like to thank Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and the entire staff, physicians, nurses and social workers for their dedicated care. I was hospitalized here for a long time and always felt that I was in the best hands and that I was being treated in the most professional and humane way. When you arrive in such a critical condition, that's what makes the difference."

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