This week, I met Arik Shkarov, 43, an IDF soldier who serves in an undercover unit in the motorcycle division of the Israeli police.
While chasing a terrorist on March 17, 2024, he was run over by a truck. Arik was severely injured, and despite months of surgeries and treatments, his right leg had to be amputated. Even after the amputation, Arik remained in indescribable pain. He tried everything the doctors in Israel had to offer but reached a dead end.
Our Belev Echad team, along with our medical director, met him and recommended surgery in the US. We have worked extensively to forge relationships with the best doctors in NYC who can treat complicated cases like these, and this week, Arik underwent surgery under their care.
Before the surgery, he called me to his hotel room because he wanted to put on tefillin. He also asked if he could keep the tefillin for the duration of his time in NY, so he would be able to put them on daily. Of course, I agreed. On the day he was injured, he told me, he had put on tefillin, and he feels it was this act that saved his life.
With G-d’s help, the procedure will allow Arik to walk with his prosthetic without pain and to live a normal life with his wife and kids.
Needless to say, the amount of work it took to make this happen was tremendous, and the costs staggering.
But when I met Arik, he was so incredibly thankful. He couldn't find the words to describe his immense gratitude and appreciation for what we had arranged.
I am so grateful to G-d for giving me and my wife the opportunity to establish Belev Echad, and for the merit of being able to alleviate the pain of so many soldiers. Arik is now the 6th soldier to undergo surgery with us after reaching a dead end with medical care in Israel.
There are another two soldiers here in NYC this week for procedures to alleviate nerve pain that cannot be treated in Israel. Arik, Imri, and Ori—three separate soldiers with three separate stories. They don't even know each other!
I am in awe of our tireless crew. We’ve all worked so hard these last few months to put these procedures in motion. We hired a medical director to help the soldiers navigate it all. Our on-the-ground staff has taken care of every detail. The fundraising efforts were intense.
But seeing how much Arik is looking forward to resuming a regular life without pain made it all worthwhile!
After all, what price can we put on easing a soldier's pain? A soldier who gave his all for Am Yisrael? A soldier who saved lives? A soldier who gave his leg to protect us? What is the price point? How much would we all be willing to pay if we were in intense pain like this? Surely, it is priceless!
As wonderful as our organization is, my greatest wish is that we will be able to shut down because there will be no more wounded soldiers! In the meantime, I feel fortunate and blessed to be able to help.