In His Deepest Pain, He Found Purpose Through Saving Others

It’s hard to stay indifferent when reading the heartfelt post shared by United Hatzalah on their Facebook page. The story of Assaf Hodrian, a volunteer medic in the organization’s motorcycle unit, touched many hearts and for good reason.

About six years ago, Assaf faced a tragedy most of us can’t even imagine. In one devastating moment, he lost both of his parents. But instead of sinking into despair, he chose a different path. He chose to bring life to others.

"Every time I perform CPR, I see my parents' faces before my eyes," Assaf begins in his emotional post. "My name is Assaf Hodrian. I'm 39 years old, I live in Nahariya, and I volunteer as a medic with United Hatzalah’s motorcycle unit."

Many people in his city know him as someone who responds to emergencies. They know he volunteers with United Hatzalah, racing on his emergency motorcycle to reach people in need often even before the ambulance arrives.

"But not everyone knows why I do this," Assaf shares. "What pushes me to leave everything, jump on the motorcycle, and rush to a medical emergency when I get a call from United Hatzalah’s 1221 dispatch center?"

That’s when Assaf opens up about the painful turning point in his life. "Six years ago, my mother, Ada-Adela, went into the water at the lagoon near Achziv and was swept away by a strong current. My father, Avraham, saw her struggling and ran in to save her but he, too, was swept away. They both drowned. Losing a mother and father on the same day... it's a pain that words cannot describe."

After the shiva (the seven-day mourning period in Jewish tradition), Assaf found himself asking the question so many mourners face: "What now? How do I go on?"

"I started looking for something meaningful that would give me strength to keep living. That’s when I heard about United Hatzalah, a volunteer organization made up of medics, paramedics, and doctors whose mission is to give life-saving first aid to people in crisis before the ambulance even gets there."

Assaf took a medic training course and began volunteering. And while his grief never went away, he found a new source of strength through helping others. "The loss of my parents is something I’ll never be able to fully accept. It’s a wound that doesn’t heal. But volunteering to save lives has given me strength I didn’t know I had. I’ve responded to many emergencies over the years. I’ve performed dozens of CPRs. I’ve saved lives. And that’s an incredible feeling."

Assaf dedicates every life he saves to the memory of his parents. "Every time I do CPR, I see my mother and father’s faces. And when it’s successful, when the man or woman I helped goes home to their family, I say to myself, ‘Mom, Dad… this person was saved because of you.’"

Through his pain, Assaf found a path of healing and meaning. And through his selfless acts, he continues to bring comfort, life, and light to others one emergency at a time.