Saving a Life Through Faith and Compassion: A Heartfelt Story

Yogev Azoulay, a 29-year-old resident of Sderot, Israel, never thought that one day he would save someone’s life by donating part of his own body. He never could have imagined that the person he would end up helping would be so far away—more than 15 hours by plane. But, in a truly miraculous turn of events, everything fell into place.

"The doctors said severe damage had occurred"

The story began two years ago when Yogev’s niece, Tal-El, was on her way home from kindergarten and fell from a great height. "It was a very serious fall, but there was real divine providence involved," Yogev recalls. "The person who was bringing her back from kindergarten was her 15-year-old uncle, who didn’t realize how serious her fall was. A woman driving nearby saw the fall and immediately stopped her car. She offered to take Tal-El home and told her parents: ‘Don’t take this lightly. Take her to the doctor.’ That woman truly saved her life because if her parents had let her rest instead of rushing her to the hospital, the outcome could have been tragic."

They arrived at a health clinic and then Tal-El was transported by ambulance to Kaplan Hospital. There, doctors conducted a CT scan, revealing severe bleeding in her brain. The decision was made to transfer her to Schneider Hospital for emergency surgery. When Yogev arrived at the hospital, he found his niece sedated and ventilated, lying connected to machines.

"A few minutes later, she was wheeled into the operating room," he recalls. "We sat in the waiting room for over five hours, under immense pressure, praying the whole time. We didn’t fully understand just how serious the situation was until the surgeon came out and told us the surgery was complete, but the damage was severe, and brain activity was almost nonexistent."

Tal-El was admitted to intensive care, and Yogev mentions that from that moment, his brother and sister-in-law became very quiet and focused, devoting all their energy to fighting for their daughter’s life. "It was such a painful, stressful time," Yogev reflects, "but it was moving to see how many people were praying for her, spreading psalms and taking on commitments to help. I found myself acting as the family spokesperson, sending messages of gratitude and asking people to continue praying."

A Divine Exchange

Most of Yogev’s communication with the many people praying for Tal-El was through Facebook. One day, while scrolling, he came across a post that read: "My name is Galit, and my husband Jim is in urgent need of a kidney donation. He’s been diagnosed with severe kidney disease and is barely functioning. He needs an immediate donation, and it’s his only chance for survival."

"When I read Galit’s post, I realized she was going through the same emotional struggle I was for my niece," Yogev says. "I decided then that I would help Jim, and I believed that with Hashem’s help, the kindness I showed would somehow help Tal-El too. I immediately told my brother about the decision."

How did your brother react?

"He couldn’t understand why I would want to sacrifice myself when Tal-El needed me, but I knew in my heart that I had to do something big. I understood how important it was to save Jim’s life too, as his family was just as worried for him."

Miraculous Recovery

Meanwhile, two days later, the doctors decided to reduce Tal-El’s sedation to test her brain function. "At first, it seemed like she was moving a little, but the doctors warned us not to get our hopes up. It was only an instinctive bodily reaction. Later, they had to put her back on the ventilator, as her response wasn’t strong enough," Yogev explains. "But on the third attempt, Tal-El started breathing on her own. That’s when we knew she was truly alive."

From that point on, recovery began. "It wasn’t like everything was normal right away," says Yogev. "At first, we feared she wouldn’t regain the intelligence and abilities she had before. She didn’t speak, she couldn’t recognize people, and she had involuntary movements. But slowly, step by step, she started to improve. She began walking, moving her arms and legs, and even playing in the hospital’s playroom. By the end of that week, we filmed her saying ‘thank you for the prayers,’ which we shared with everyone who had prayed for her."

Yogev notes that just two weeks later, Tal-El returned home, fully functional, and a week after that, she was back at kindergarten. "The doctors were amazed," he says. "They had no explanation for her miraculous recovery, but I knew the answer."

And then it was time to follow through

"Yes, exactly. I knew the time had come to follow through with my decision to donate a kidney," Yogev explains. "Even as Tal-El’s condition improved, I had already spoken to Galit, Jim’s wife, and filled out the medical forms with her. After a few weeks, I took the necessary tests and discovered we shared the same rare blood type, O+. This helped speed up the processing, as the hospital usually prefers foreign donors, but my situation was exceptional."

A month later, Yogev flew to the U.S. for further tests, and after several months, he and his wife, along with their young son, traveled to San Francisco for the kidney donation surgery.

Reflecting on the moments before the surgery, Yogev says, "I entered the operating room holding my Book of Psalms. The doctors told me I could back out, but I never considered it. I felt I was part of a miraculous process, and who was I to stand in the way of it?"

Yogev notes that during his stay in the U.S., he lived with Galit and Jim. "Galit offered to pay for a hotel, but we didn’t want that. We were happy to stay with them. I later spoke with other kidney donors and realized that I was the only one who not only donated a kidney but also lived alongside the family I was helping."

Today, two years later, Yogev says he barely notices that he only has one kidney. "It’s as if it’s part of my normal life now. But the regular calls with Jim and knowing I helped not just him but his entire family, gives me strength every day."

To contact Yogev Azoulay or book a lecture: yogevazulay100@gmail.com