Water Had a Secret for David

September 27, 2024

Israel’s longest war, and the complexity of operations, results in death and injury not directly on the battlefield.

This was underlined tragically by a recent helicopter crash in Rafah which killed two soldiers and wounded seven. The IDF ruled the crash was caused by poor visibility due to darkness and dust clouds created upon landing. But most of the stories never even make the news.

David E. is a 33-year-old from Ramat Gan, and the father to a two-year-old boy.

On October 7th David was called to reserve duty, joining his unit in the North. What started as routine training and operational activities soon turned into intense combat in the northeastern front against Hezbollah forces. After weeks of grueling action, David’s battalion was scheduled for a break and combat readiness exercises in the Golan Heights.

On January 10th, during one of the training exercises, David was tasked with guiding a Humvee driver to a designated assembly point. Due to GPS disruptions, the vehicle missed a turn, and David got out to get directions. While walking alongside the Humvee, he suddenly felt a crushing weight on his leg — the vehicle had started moving forward without warning and ran over his foot and ankle. The accident left David with severe pain and multiple fractures in his ankle and foot, requiring complex surgery and an extended rehabilitation process.

In the early stages of his rehab, David felt overwhelmed and discouraged, believing the recovery process would never end. The long days of treatment and the initial lack of progress left him with a sense of despair.

However, David was then introduced to the therapeutic pool in Sheba’s advanced hydrotherapy department. With the help of Sheba’s equipment and processes and the support of his medical team, David began to see improvements.

David reflects on his recovery, sharing that “the hydrotherapy was the single most important factor in my rehabilitation.”

Hydrotherapy allows him to rebuild his strength and regain mobility without placing too much stress on his injured bones. The water’s buoyancy provides him a safe environment to gradually regain his confidence and functionality, a key aspect of his rehab journey.

David learned what thousands of others have learned from Sheba’s dedicated hydro-therapists: water, one of natures most abundant substances, has powerful healing properties.

Today, David continues his rehabilitation as an outpatient, and while he treasures cradling his two year old child, he is determined to fully recover and return to duty. His story is a reminder that those wounded in this war not directly in combat are just as heroic and critical to the protection of Israel as those injured in direct combat. And thankfully Sheba Medical Center is there for all of them.

Am Yisrael Chai