The Jewish Man Who Donated Bone Marrow to a Muslim Infant: "I Saved a Life and Sanctified Hashem's Name"

"Every person is created in the image of Hashem," says Yisrael Otemazgin, an orthodox young man who moved countless people across the country and the world after donating bone marrow to a Muslim infant.

The conversation with him is touching, mainly due to the fact that he sees his donation as a given. It seems natural to him. "As a Jew who observes mitzvot, I recognize the great importance of the sanctity of life," he explains. "Hashem commands us to sanctify and respect every person created in His image, regardless of who they are. Moreover, I am sure any parent finding themselves, Heaven forbid, in a situation where their child is in danger of losing their life would be willing to fight and do anything to save them. So why should I feel differently when it's an unknown infant's life at stake?"

It's hard not to hear the satisfaction in Otemazgin's voice as he recounts this moving story that began about four years ago but concluded only recently when he discovered the identity of the infant whose life he saved.

A Chance to Save a Life

"I volunteer at United Hatzalah," he shares. "About four years ago, I participated in a volunteer conference for the organization. At the entrance, they offered attendees the chance to leave a saliva sample, thereby entering a bone marrow registry. It's a simple test that allows you to join the international database. Of course, I gave a sample without thinking twice and then forgot about it after leaving the conference."

About three years ago, Otemazgin received a surprising phone call. "I was contacted by the bone marrow registry at Hadassah," he recalls, "and they informed me that based on the data, I was found to be a match to donate bone marrow to an infant who would likely not survive without my donation. Beyond that, they didn't give me any information—neither about the infant's identity, his sector, nor his place of residence, as the regulations prohibit disclosing these details. They just clarified that it was an exceptionally rare match and I was the best fit from all those registered."

Were you surprised by the call?

"Yes, of course, I was surprised. It's somewhat like winning the lottery. In my heart, I knew I wanted to donate, but I wanted to consult first with my wife and my rabbi. After receiving their approval and encouragement, I returned to Hadassah with a positive answer."

According to him, the excitement was immense. "As soon as you hear about a small infant, you start thinking about your own children. I tried to imagine how the parents felt and how much they longed for someone to come and save their child's life. I thought about how no amount of money could help them in such a situation, and even the greatest professors couldn't help and donate either because they weren't a match. Only I, out of all the people in the enormous global registry, could save the infant's life. It was an amazing thought. I saw it as a kind of mission, a great privilege."

He began the donation process almost immediately. "That evening, someone was sent to my house to draw seven vials of blood," he describes. "They were sent straight to the lab, and about two weeks later, I received a phone call telling me the match was perfect and the attending physician wanted my donation specifically. They added that since it was an infant, the donation process would be slightly more complex, as the marrow needed to be extracted directly from the bone. Instead of a simple machine connection, I had to undergo general anesthesia in an operating room. In this way, according to the doctor, the chances of success would increase."

Did that make it more complex and risky? Did you think twice about it?

"Initially, there was a moment of reconsideration," he answers honestly. "I wasn't really obligated to make this donation, and if it might endanger me, then it's worth reconsidering. But after a brief consultation with my wife, we concluded that the risk was not significant at all, and the opportunity to save a life held enormous value. Very quickly, I made the final decision and promptly returned with a positive answer. This was the first time in my life I underwent general anesthesia, and I'm glad it was for such a purpose. In the end, the process wasn't complex at all, and I was discharged the same day the extraction took place."

Bringing Life into the World

After those tumultuous and exciting weeks, Otemazgin entered a period of quiet. "From the outset, I was informed by 'Hadassah' that for the first year after the donation, I wouldn't receive any identifying details about the infant I donated to since those are the international regulations. I was also told that I wouldn't know about his condition or be able to follow the donation's success."

You must have been very anxious

"Absolutely. Not a day passed in the past year without thoughts about it crossing my mind. I dearly wanted to know whom I had donated to and if the donation was successful. During the year, 'Hadassah' offered me to write a greeting letter to the parents, promising to forward it, but beyond that, I couldn't know anything."

Recently, a year passed since the donation, and last week, Otemazgin was informed that the infant's family wanted to contact him, and they asked if he was interested since both sides needed to consent to receive identifying information.

His response, as expected, was that he would be very happy. "I filled out all the required forms, and then they sent me the boy's details," he recounts with great excitement. "From the infant's name, I immediately understood he was probably not Jewish and realized he lived abroad and had two older siblings. I also received contact details, but honestly, I was a bit embarrassed; I didn't know what to say in such a call or how to initiate contact. I also took into account that the transplant might not have succeeded, and the parents would inform me of their child's passing. Yes, that was a plausible scenario too."

So, what did you do?

"I finally wrote them a message saying I was the donor and wanted to know how their child was doing. A few minutes later, I received a touching response thanking me for saving their child. We agreed to arrange a family video call the following day with family members from both sides, including a translator to facilitate communication effectively."

The call that took place the next day was astonishingly emotional. "The parents showed me their sweet and charming baby waving hello through the screen," Otemazgin describes. "They also said that right after he was born, the doctors diagnosed him with a severe immune system deficiency and told them his only way out was a bone marrow donation. They tested all family members, including the older siblings, but no match was found, so they turned to the global registry and were relieved when a suitable donor was found. According to them, the infant's condition improved tremendously after the donation. During the first year, he had several viral infections, but his body managed to fight and overcome them, indicating the transplant was successful."

How did you feel about that?

"I can't find words to describe the satisfaction," he states. "I felt privileged to bring life into the world, as the parents explained that with this disease, he couldn't live more than a year. Additionally, there's the improved quality of life because initially, the baby was constantly hospitalized since he had no immune system, and any minor virus could have been lethal. Now, he's at home with his parents and siblings—what could be more amazing?"

On a personal note, Otemazgin adds he feels there's a significant aspect of sanctifying Hashem's name here. "After my donation became public, I received so many reactions from various people across the country and the world who were very moved by it, especially because it involves a Jewish donor for a Muslim child, and specifically being from the orthodox sector. I have the privilege of demonstrating the supreme value of our Torah and humanity. It's a great honor to convey this message, and I recommend anyone who can to join the bone marrow registry. It's such a simple test through which you can have the privilege of saving a life."