Lieutenant Yair Lifshitz is alive because donated blood reached him in time. In November 2023, the 23-year-old emergency medical responder from Jerusalem and a platoon commander in the Paratroopers Brigade was critically wounded during a clash with terrorists in Gaza. Four units of whole blood were administered before he reached the hospital, two at the scene and two during helicopter evacuation, stabilizing him for emergency care.
For nearly two and a half weeks, Yair was sedated and on a ventilator as medical teams fought for his life. When he regained consciousness, a long rehabilitation began. Even early in recovery, he spoke about returning to the Magen David Adom station in Jerusalem where he has volunteered since age 15, and he later returned to ambulance shifts. “Being on the other side as a patient made me a better medic,” he said. “It showed me how much every lifesaving blood donation truly matters.”
Cases like Yair’s are why blood donation is so important, including donations made thousands of miles away.
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