Soldiers’ journeys of healing
Both soldiers are visiting Australia to talk about the role ZDVO's Beit Halochem is taking in their rehabilitation.
Lieutenant Eden Ram is adamant her account of surviving Hamas must include the names of the soldiers who died, some huddled next to her. It’s a matter of honour for her.
On October 7, Ram of IDF’s Home Command was at her base, Urim, near Gaza, when she was shot 12 times by Hamas snipers. She is on a slow, steady journey back, and attributes her recuperation to Israel’s Zahal Disabled Veterans Organisation (ZDVO).
Four weeks later, IDF Captain Liam Shpilman was on duty near the Lebanon border when an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from Hezbollah crashed into his patrol, injuring him critically.
Both soldiers are visiting Australia to talk about the role ZDVO’s Beit Halochem is taking in their rehabilitation.
Ram was shot in her leg as she and others raced through sniper fire to Ufim’s command room, but soldiers Lior Levy and Ofir Davidian died. Itamar Ayash was murdered. The terrorists took his phone, photographed his remains and sent the picture to his contacts, including his mother.
They hurled a grenade into the room. “I waited for the last bullet but it never came,” she said. “In that moment, I wanted to be dead, instead of being in their hands.”
When the terrorists left, Ram tried to feel who was alive in the smoke. Only one other soldier survived. Alina Parvosudova, Aharon Parash, Shir Shlomo, Adi Groman and Danit Cohen had been murdered. Four hours later, rescuers arrived. “They said I was white, near death.”
Ram is recovering from wounds in her legs, left hand and shoulders. A bullet remains in her hip. But Beit Halochem eased the mental pain with hospital visits, and they prepared Shabbat dinners.
After three months in hospital and two months in a wheelchair, Ram began daily visits to Beit Halochem, “my second home”. She receives physical therapy at the Jerusalem centre. “It’s a place that makes me happier and stronger.”
The UAV that struck Shpilman’s unit hurled him 10 metres. His right leg was almost fully severed. Metal shards penetrated his lower back and cut his small intestine.
Helicoptered to hospital, Shpilman found himself in the care of a vascular specialist who slept overnight in his car to see if his intervention would save his patient. An incorrect report he had been killed reached home, terrifying his younger sister.
After three months in hospital, Shpilman began rehab at Beth Halochem. He thrives on the therapies and the support from other wounded soldiers. “If I can be stronger, healthier, this is how I can continue to fight our enemies.”
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