'Unbelievable full circle': Terror attack survivor’s kidney saves rescuer’s brother 24 years later

ByRUBY SADIKMANJULY 25, 2026 20:30An altruistic kidney donation brought together a survivor of a deadly terrorist attack and the brother of the man who saved his life, in a coincidence discovered shortly before the transplant, Clalit Health Services announced on Thursday.Yonatan Rom decided to participate in an Israeli paired kidney exchange program as an anonymous donor about a year ago. Ahead of the transplant he was matched for, Rom decided to meet the recipient at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital.In the initial conversation between Rom and Reuven Tam, the two discovered that Rom was a teacher at a pre-military academy when a terrorist attacked 24 years ago. Beyond that, however, Reuven Tam's brother, Eyal Tam, was the emergency response squad commander who ended the incident. "Your brother saved my life 24 years ago, and today I am saving yours with my kidney," Rom told Tam after they traced their connection."None of this was planned," he went on. "Eyal stopped the terrorist and ended the massacre. I arrived at the scene in my car, the terrorist opened fire on us, and only minutes later Eyal arrived and neutralized him."Beilinson Hospital (credit: COURTESY BEILINSON HOSPITAL)'A new chance at life' 24 years post-terror attackNow, Rom has a chance to return the favor. "We feel wonderful. I want to thank Yonatan for giving me a new chance at life. We hope to remain friends for the rest of our lives," Tam said ahead of his transplant.During the height of the second intifada in 2002, a terrorist infiltrated the academy in the Israeli community of Atzmona in the Gaza Strip's Gush Katif region, killing five students and injuring 21 more. Had Eyal Tam not been on the scene and acted as quickly as he did, many more people likely would've died, the Clalit press release said. Rom is echoing that same notion of selflessness with his donation."Altruistic kidney donors truly embody the meaning of altruism. They make an extraordinary decision to save the life of someone they have never met," said Dr. Eviatar Nesher, Director of the Transplant Department at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital. He went on to commend the exchange as an "almost unbelievable full circle."Clalit-Beilinson Hospital does over 200 kidney transplants a year, and Rom could've been matched with any number of other recipients."What are the chances that, out of all the donors and recipients, these two people would be brought together, the recipient whose brother had once saved the donor's life during a terrorist attack?" Anat Briger, Transplant Coordinator at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, said.Follow us on Google