Fallen Officer’s Final Gift: Six Lives Saved Through Organ Donation

Capt. Shahar Gamla, may God avenge his blood, saved six lives through organ donation after he fell in battle in Lebanon.

An explosive drone hit Gamla during combat. However, even in unbearable grief, his family chose to give life to others. Doctors transplanted a lobe of his liver into 7.5-year-old Bel Finkelstein of Rishon LeZion, helping save her life.

A Life-Saving Gift

Bel lives with a rare congenital genetic syndrome. She had waited about six months for a life-saving liver transplant.

Over the weekend, her family received the news that a donation had become available. Doctors then performed a complex transplant surgery that lasted many hours. Afterward, the medical team moved Bel to the intensive care unit.

For Bel’s family, the transplant brought renewed hope after months of waiting.

A Mother’s Gratitude

Bel’s mother, Yana, thanked Gamla’s parents for their extraordinary decision.

“I have no words to thank Shahar’s dear parents, who, from within their grief, gave life to my daughter,” she said. “This is a noble and extraordinary act that should not be taken for granted at all.”

In addition, Yana said she hopes to thank the family personally. She also thanked the medical team at Schneider, saying they surrounded the family with care and looked after them constantly.

In Death, He Gave Life

Gamla’s organs, may God avenge his blood, saved six people in total, including little Bel.

His story reflects one of the most painful and powerful truths of Israeli life. A soldier can fall while defending the Jewish state, and yet his family can still turn loss into life.

Ultimately, Capt. Shahar Gamla gave others a future. In death, he gave life.