Cancer patient receives gift of life from soldier - twice
Matan Gur-Ari fought his aggressive lymphona with every treatment imaginable and nearly gave up hope before soldier's second marrow donation saved him.
Matan Gur-Ari, who was diagnosed with lymphoma at age 30, was saved thanks to pure altruism at the hands of an IDF soldier who donated his marrow not once, but twice so that Matan could have a new chance at life.
Matan met Ido Harlev (20) for the first time this week to thank him for his selfless act.
A long battle against Lymphoma
Towards the end of August 2013, Matan was working as a team manager at a cellular company, was active in the workers union, and was living with his girlfriend happily, until he began suffering from back pain and a swollen stomach. After a number of visits to his general physician and the ER, it became clear that he was suffering from huge tumors near his stomach – which were later diagnosed as advance lymphatic cancer.
He immediately began a series of chemotherapy treatments and suffered due to the disease's side effects including nausea, fatigue, vomiting, lack of appetite, loss of taste, hallucinations, hair loss and lack of patience. "I went form my routine and feeling healthy to feeling like I aged. I lost weight and my hair. But ageing happens slowly compared to cancer, which lands on you suddenly with no time to plan ahead."
Matan received treatments for seven months, all the while writing a book about his personal battle tilted "Me and my partner." In the end doctors told Matan that he had recovered from the disease. But barely two months later, he begun suffering from severe headaches and limpness. He found himself in the emergency room yet again, with doctors telling him the cancer was back and that this time it was attacking his brain.
"I'm in the ER yet again, while a specialist stares at me; once again im forced to fight the battle for my life, only this time with higher doses, with radiation and marrow transfusions," Matan wrote.
He underwent one marrow transfusion, which failed, while the side effects continued. He kept loosing weight and suffered from painful sores in his mouth and GI tract. His body was getting weaker. The doctors decided, there was no other option besides a transplant, this time from a stranger.
'If I had the chance, of course I would donate again'
That’s when word arrived: An anonymous donor was a match, and agreed to immediately donate. Using a special filtration machine, which vacuums blood just like a regular blood donation and filters out the marrow cells, which are then given to the patient. Matan received the marrow from a soldier, who later turned out to be Ido Harlev (20) from Kfar Truman.But sadly, this transplant also failed. This time the doctors decided to give it another try, and it worked, and saved Matan's life.
Exactly one year after the transplant, an emotional first meeting was held between the two. "I didn’t do too much," Harlev said, "I just lay in the hospital bed while they took my marrow cells. I didn’t make some superhuman effort, but it feels like knowing that there is some superpower hidden within that can help people in times of need - like Spiderman in real life.
"Of course I'll donate again if I have the chance," Harlev continued. "It feels wonderful to see someone standing back on their feet, and that cells from my body are flowing in his arteries."
"I waited a whole year to see the man who saved my life," Gur-Ari said. "His blood is flowing in my body; he saved my life."
"For a whole year I tried to imagine his face, his voice, and what I found was a humble and good person who brought me back to life. No words could explain how I felt."
