"My Child Caught Fire Before My Eyes. Only the Prayers of the Jewish People Saved Him"

"Mom, I can't take it anymore! Mom, help me!" These are the cries we hear when speaking to Rachel Avni, the mother of nearly three-year-old Ido. Until a few months ago, he was like any other child: cheerful, happy, and full of life. But in one moment, he transitioned to a different world — a world of suffering, pain, and arduous treatments. All of this followed a grill accident that occurred on the last Independence Day.

As we talk to Rachel, she explains that Ido is currently undergoing physical therapy exercises, intended to stretch the scars on his body and make the transplanted skin elastic and flexible. "That's the reason for the cries you hear," she explains with noticeable pain in her voice. "We don’t want Ido to lose muscle flexibility, so we encourage him to go through the treatments, despite the difficulty."

She pauses for a moment and then gently speaks to Ido: "A little more, my sweet, try a bit harder, good boy, you're a hero!"

"I Saw My Son in Flames"

Rachel can hardly recall the normal life she had not long ago. Routine, home, and work — these words seem to belong to a different world, even though the life-altering drama occurred only about four months ago.

"It was during Passover," she recalls that horrible day, "we went to a park in Zichron Yaakov with a few other families. It's an organized park with a designated grilling area. We, the women, took the children fishing, while the men set up the grill. Since I had a seven-month-old baby, I went back to my husband to ask for help with the stroller. While we were talking, I heard a loud explosion and saw a fireball on the grass. Initially, I didn't understand what was happening, and the only thing I noticed was that my husband's clothes caught fire. He didn't lose his composure; he jumped into a nearby fish pond and managed to extinguish himself."

Meanwhile, Rachel tried to check what was happening on the grass. What she saw was the most terrible sight imaginable: "I saw my Ido burning and engulfed in flames, looking like a small bonfire," she says with a choked voice. In that horrific moment, she hadn’t fully grasped the disaster; she only heard the men shouting: "We need to put out the fire, bring blankets, water, stones."

"I couldn't look; I only prayed, shouted to Hashem, and begged for the fire to be extinguished and for Ido to be saved. Indeed, after a few moments, the men managed to put out the flames, and soon an ambulance arrived and took Ido to the hospital."

Did you go with him?

"Of course I did. I got into the ambulance without shoes and without a phone. I even left the baby behind and just managed to shout to those who remained: 'She needs to be fed; she's nursing!'"

Even as the ambulance sped away, Rachel notes that she didn't yet comprehend the severity of the situation. "Burns, in their early stages, still look fine. Ido looked mostly normal, except that his skin was very red and his hair a bit singed. But in the ambulance, I saw everyone getting anxious, and the paramedics said Ido wasn't breathing well and there was a risk to his internal organs. Only then did I start to realize my son was in critical danger."

When they arrived at the hospital, another level of hysteria unfolded as about 30 doctors rushed to Ido. "When I tried to ask about his condition, they only said they couldn't promise anything," Rachel recalls. "I asked them if Ido would live, and they replied: 'It's unclear right now.' Those were terrible moments. My husband wasn't with me because he was taken to a different hospital, and I was alone, with myself and my prayers."

Ido was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Rambam Hospital, and for nearly a month, he was sedated and on a ventilator. "It's hard to see your child like that," she admits, "but they had to sedate him because every other day he underwent surgeries where the burnt skin was removed and new skin was grafted from other parts of his body. These are excruciating pains beyond comprehension, so he had to be sedated to avoid suffering."

What gave you strength in such moments?

"What gave me strength and still gives me strength are the prayers of the Jewish people. Without the prayers, I don't think I would have been able to go through this terrible process. We received so much love, care, and concern from all around the world — from a check that arrived from Bangkok (I still don't know how) to people who came to visit us from the Golan Heights. People from all over the country called us, and soldiers who went through similar things also reached out. And I haven't yet mentioned the tens of thousands of chapters of Tehillim that were recited, the thousands of people who accepted Shabbat early, the endless challah separations, and more. In my prayers, I always said to Hashem: 'Maybe I don’t have merits, and maybe I’m not deserving, but the Jewish people you cannot disappoint.' And indeed, we saw real miracles, because prayers have immense power.

"By the way," she adds, "thanks to what I've experienced, I've learned not to dismiss chain messages sent to me. Since what happened, I treat each such message with full seriousness, reciting Tehillim and praying with intention. It's clear to me that it has a huge impact."

Ido Opens His Eyes

Indeed, since Ido was hospitalized, real miracles have occurred. "Initially, the medical protocol stated that he would be sedated and on a ventilator for at least three months," says Rachel. "But after just three weeks, it was decided to wean him off the sedation. I remember they prepared me that when he awoke, he wouldn't recognize me, and advised against trying to talk to him. But the minute Ido opened his eyes, I saw him following me; it was clear to me he recognized me. Then the doctor told me I could try giving him a pacifier. I did so, fearfully putting it in his mouth. Ido eagerly took it, and it did him good. Later, they gave him a lollipop, and he licked it while half-asleep. It's hard to describe the happiness I felt at that moment. Those were great moments."

The true joy came when they removed Ido from the ventilators. "Until then, the ventilators prevented him from speaking," Rachel explains, "The doctors also claimed that after the devices were removed, it would take time for his speech to return. But the second I entered the room, I already heard him crying and calling towards me: 'Mom.' It was a moment when I broke down and started crying hard. I cried and cried endlessly."

Rachel also notes another miracle: "During the period Ido was on a ventilator, the doctors gave him memory-dulling medications, and they said he might not remember any events that occurred. But the prayers of the Jewish people led to us continuing right where we left off. For instance, the first song Ido sang was: 'My Pockets are Filled with Nuts.' Although we were already in the middle of the month of Sivan, for him, he still remembered the song from Passover, just before the disaster."

Despite the pain that still accompanies Ido, his mother emphasizes: "He is a heroic and wonderful child. He tries so hard to return to routine, to be happy with what he has, and to be joyful. I find that I learn a lot from him about optimism and hope."

Learning to Give Thanks

When Rachel talks about the period she went through, she mentions it wasn't easy at all.  "Our lives changed in an instant," she explains. "Understand that when the disaster happened, we were just a few days after moving houses. We felt we had finally reached rest and refuge, and suddenly, we could barely enjoy our new home. Initially, Ido was hospitalized at Rambam, and I stayed with him all the time. Later, he was transferred to Tel Hashomer, and we moved to live with my sister in the center of the country. I completely left my job, while my husband began working near the hospital. Our lives changed entirely."

Rachel adds: "I remember that in the days leading up to the disaster, a new couch arrived at our home, and I was so anxious that Ido might climb on it and ruin it. Now, I would give anything for him to tear, break, and destroy it. This is also why I find it hard to hear people complain about how tough it is during vacation time when the kids are at home. I can only envy them. If only I could visit every home in Israel to explain how lucky they are, because anyone who has health has everything, and really doesn't need anything else."

To allow Ido to undergo the necessary future surgeries, a special fund has been opened for him: A trust account in the name of Ido Avni. Account number: 1487707 at Bank Igud 13, Branch 143.