The story of the moving and noble donation of Rabbi Moishe Segal of Lod, who donated a kidney to Yael, the mother of children he never knew, has already been published - and made waves.
Always happy: There are new flavors you shouldn't miss
The kidney donor's father, Rabbi Shaia Segal, director of the K"T publishing house from Kfar Chabad, was seen in a viral video, giving a pair of luxurious candlesticks to Yael, who was very moved by the gesture.
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During his speech, her husband Shahar approached and gave Rabbi Shia a brave hug.
In a conversation with Shahar, Yael's husband, who is making final arrangements before leaving Tel Hashomer Hospital with his wife, after recovering from the surgery, he told COL: "I told Moishe: 'You saved our lives, literally. Like a soldier saving a friend on the battlefield, and even more than that. With you, it was conscious, not something instinctive, I myself can't explain it,'" he says excitedly.
Shahar shared what his family had been through recently, before the fundraiser: "For two years, Yael refused to accept dialysis treatment in any way. Five or six doctors, each one separately, tried to convince her, and nothing helped. Until one day they told her: God forbid you leave the door here and that's it, fall, you're literally moments before the end. She suffered from post-traumatic stress after the death of my late father, who died of cardiac arrest, after only his second treatment on a dialysis machine. He was 62 years old.".
Shahar himself also tried to donate a kidney to her, but he was not found to be suitable.
After a year of being registered for donation with the 'Gift of Life' organization, the donor was found: Rabbi Moshi Segal, a teacher at the Chabad Torah Talmud in Lod. From there to the transplant and today's release, the road was short.
Here comes the story with the candlesticks.
Shahar: "My wife was so excited, we have a tradition in our family. She took it upon herself to light candles every Shabbat evening. Moishe's father, the wonderful Rabbi Sheya, suddenly pulled out an exciting gift for us: an amazing and beautiful pair of candlesticks. We had no more words to thank him. So I hugged dear Rabbi Sheya.".
And it's not over yet.
In one of the meetings after the transplant, Shay suggested that Shahar put on tefillin. "The truth is, I have tefillin from my bar mitzvah, and I decided that I would start putting on tefillin every day.".
Someone present in the room was 'skeptical' about the matter, but Shahar was determined.
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To explain what they've been through recently, Shahar tells a little anecdote: "On Friday, my wife Yael - for the first time in two years - ate a tomato for breakfast. And I, all excited, got up and ran to Moishi's room: 'Look what's going on here, you saved her life!'"
""If it weren't for our Moishe, she would eat almost nothing. To someone who doesn't know what dialysis patients go through, it seems like nothing, eating only very specific things, and needing difficult dialysis treatments. Of course, I constantly supported her throughout the difficult period, which wasn't too bad, but deep down I really felt like I was burning out," he describes.
Just before he leaves Tel Neshomer with his wife at a good time, he also has a message in light of the polarization in the nation that has recently increased: "We are raising two twin daughters, and I care about what is happening in this country. There is great shallowness. Who are the heroes of our culture today? Those who have money? Actors? Actresses? Where are the values? There are divisions that stem largely from ignorance. There are those who see a kippah and a beard and recoil. It is very easy to be closed off from your surroundings and society. In essence, we are one people, there is no need to be afraid!""
""Moishe and his wife Bluma are the real heroes in this story," he concludes excitedly.
