Itzik Saidian, a disabled IDF casualty who was fatally wounded when he set himself on fire about five months ago in front of the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Defense in Petah Tikva in protest of the combat wing's treatment, begins to respond to his surroundings after his doctors began controlling the anesthetic.
"We were waiting for this moment," says his sister Leah. .
"It excites us a lot. We are excited about every move he makes. The doctor also asked him questions and asked him to nod - and he responded. The road is still long, we are careful but also optimistic. It gives a lot of hope."
The Sheba Medical Center said: "Itzik Saidian's condition has improved and he regained consciousness during the day, after doctors began lowering the dose of anesthetics given to him in recent days. The process of returning to full consciousness is expected to be long and complex. Itzik Saidian's condition is difficult and he will continue treatment. In the National Burns Unit in Sheba. "
Saidian has actually been anesthetized since arriving at the hospital: due to the severe burns he suffered it was decided that the best treatment for him is under anesthesia.
At first his condition was human and his life was in real danger, now his condition has improved, but even after he wakes up - he will still need a long rehabilitation.
Photo: Eliana Barbel
In April, about two weeks after he was hospitalized, his condition stabilized, and he began undergoing surgery at the hospital as part of a surgical procedure to treat skin and burns.
As of today Saidian has opened his eyes and started reacting to his surroundings, however he is not yet fully conscious.
His family showed him various videos that he seemed to have responded to.
Advocate Aviad Lenchner, Itzik Saidian's lawyer, said following his improvement in his medical condition: "The improvement in Itzik's condition is very gratifying not only because an entire country has prayed for his recovery, but also because it allows the country to correct the terrible injustice done to him.
I wish Itzik would be the last battle shock that should shock an entire country in order to get the rights it deserves. "
Adv. Aviad Lenchner Itzik Saidian's lawyer // Photo: Chaya Gold,
Saidian, 26, from Jerusalem, suffered a battle shock after taking part in a difficult battle in the Shaja'iya neighborhood in the Gaza Strip during Operation Eitan.
After the incident, IDF and Halomi Krav disabled people began to protest against the wing, claiming that it ignored their plight. Following the protest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the chairman of the IDF Disabled Organization, Idan Kliman, in the Tel Aviv campus.
In July, the wife of President Michal Herzog visited Saidian and his family at Sheba Medical Center.
