This is the worst war since Yom Kippur. We have lost 515 soldiers, and more than 2,300 have been injured. We estimate that close to 10 soldiers are injured each day. We mourn the loss of every one of our precious sons and daughters, including the nine soldiers who lost their lives on Tuesday. We owe them everything. We stand resolute in our commitment to help every injured soldier who needs us to reclaim their lives.
May their memories be a Blessing for all Israel.
ABSORPTION OF NEWLY INJURED SOLDIERS
As we continue the absorption process of what will likely be over 2,000 soldiers from this war, each newly injured soldier meets a BFL mentor who helps direct them toward one or more of the services below. This chart shows the progression of services a newly injured soldier receives in BFL. While some soldiers may need only one of these services, most will need the majority of them.
HIGHLIGHTS
- On average, our BFL Hospital Mentors met and attended to 83-100 newly injured soldiers every week. Our 17 hospital teams, comprising a total of 140 dedicated BFL mentors, are strategically positioned across Israel.
- Wounded soldiers receive multiple visits from our hospital teams to foster trust and deliver the unique support they need. Our model is built on pairing newly injured soldiers, injury for injury, with a BFL mentor who has successfully rebuilt their live facing the same injury.
- We have dedicated over $1.2 million USD to address the immediate needs of both wounded soldiers and their families. This support encompasses essential medical equipment, personal supplies, technology, transportation, and accommodations for their families near the hospital. As of this report, approximately 1,300 communication devices—including laptops, tablets, and phones have been distributed.
- Currently, BFL is in the process of integrating over 700 newly injured soldiers. Since October 7th, 234 have joined BFL, for a total of 334 new members in 2023 (a 234% growth from 2022). We anticipate this number to increase in the coming months.
BFL Medical Project Continues to Transform Lives:
Surgeons Return to Tel HaShomer for Critical Procedures
Nearly four years ago to the day, the BFL Medical Project, innovated by BFL partner Dr. Joel Spitz, brought two surgeons from Walter Reed to Tel HaShomer Hospital with the objective to perform pioneering surgeries on two of our soldiers who are amputees and to share these cutting-edge techniques with local surgeons. Incredibly, following this surgery, one of these brothers is now fighting in Gaza today with a prosthetic leg.
This week Dr. Kyle Potter of Walter Reed, returned to Tel HaShomer to aid critically injured soldiers.
Reflecting on his return, Dr. Potter shared, “Following my successful visit to Tel HaShomer with BFL a few years ago, I was invited again after the October 7th attacks. Thus far the in visit, I have had the privilege of consulting on the care of more than 30 IDF soldiers with severe injuries and assisted in reconstructive surgery for five. The patients, staff, and people of Tel Aviv have been wonderful, and it has been extremely rewarding.”
In the coming months, Dr. Jason Souza, the other surgeon (now at Ohio State University), will travel to Israel through BFL along with the head of plastic surgery from OSU to operate at Tel HaShomer as well.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Dr. Joel Spitz, our BFL Medical Project Director Tamir Movshovitz and BFL member and Tel HaShomer surgeon Dr. Avi Avitan for their part in this life-changing project. Lastly, we would like to extend our gratitude to Tel HaShomer Hospital for this ongoing collaboration.
The number of injuries escalates each day, surpassing our initial estimate of 2,000 soldiers affected by this war. In light of this, we anticipate significant challenges ahead.
We are profoundly grateful for your support as we scale to meet these tremendous needs.