Seven years after his toddler son drowned, Yair Orbach met with the four children whose lives were saved after his son's organs were transplanted • "Without intention, we made a connection"

• Yair Orbach and the children who were saved because of the organ donation

Seven years after the death of his infant son, Yair Orbach, 44, of Kibbutz Merav in Gilboa, this week met for the first time with all the children his son gave them life thanks to the donation of his organs. Orbach defines the path that led him to the exciting encounter as part of the "listening to the heart" campaign that began precisely when he lost his hearing in both ears a year and a half ago, for a reason even his doctors could not explain.

"During the tests I went through, the doctors couldn't tell me why this happened, and I started writing during that time. A lot of my writing touched my generation too and I realized with myself that there was a connection between the loss of a generation and the loss of hearing," Orbach explained.

"Recently, I started having conversations about choosing good and seeing good, and I felt that part of choosing good would also be to meet the families who received life from our generation. We are a happy family and throughout our journey we have always chosen to see the good and look at what is happening with a good eye - keep a joy and optimism - Understanding that it all depends on our choice, ”he added.

"Special meeting, glad I had it"

And so for the first time since his son died, Orbach asked the transplant center to meet with the organ transplant and their families. "A lot of families know that we are waiting for the donor family to want and apply for a meeting. Here it was different. Apparently, after Yair lost his idea of ​​skin and tendon cream. Suddenly he called me and said now was my time to meet the transplant and close a circle."

In August 2012, the late Dor Orbach drowned in the Sea of ​​Galilee and was taken in a human condition to the Valley Hospital in Afula. After a week of fighting for his life, his death was determined, but shortly before his death his parents agreed to donate his organs: heart, liver, two kidneys and eyes. 4 children, most of them close to the age of the late generation.

"Three of the children are 12-10 today and one of them is already 21. Almost six years ago I only met with the transplanted family and that was in the wake of their encounter with someone from our community in the hospital. This time it was different, firstly because the child grows up and it's different. Secondly it was a meeting with all the families together and it had a different power, "Orbach concluded. "In addition, when I knew where the organs were going, it connected me very much to President Rivlin's tribal speech - the heart received a child from an ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem. "We also made another connection with the organ donation without intention. The meeting was exciting and special, and I'm glad I held it."