Bomb victim's gift of life to Palestinian girl

A CRITICALLY ill Palestinian girl has received the kidney of a young Scottish student killed in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

The family of Yoni Jesner, 19, who was among six Jews killed last week when a Palestinian suicide bomber boarded a packed bus in downtown Tel Aviv, donated the organ to honour the wishes of their son.

Mr Jesner, who hoped to become a doctor, was travelling to university in the Israeli capital when the bomber struck last Thursday afternoon.

According to Jewish tradition, he was buried in a hillside cemetery on the outskirts of Jerusalem the following day.

Yasmin Abu Ramila, seven, from east Jerusalem, who had been on a transplant waiting list and undergoing dialysis treatment for almost two years, was yesterday recovering from the operation which doctors claimed had almost certainly saved her life.

Officials at the Schneider Children’s Hospital, in the central Israeli town of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, confirmed that Yasmin, who will celebrate her eighth birthday in December, was in good condition after Saturday’s operation, but they said it would take time to be certain.

A hospital spokesman said: "According to the family’s wishes, Yoni’s kidney was successfully transplanted on Friday and the family were fully aware of the young girl who would be the recipient. Yasmin has spent some time in acute care at the hospital and we have been searching for a suitable donor for some time. We are all praying she continues to gain strength. We are keeping Yoni’s parents fully briefed on her progress."

Yoni’s eldest brother, Ari, said the transplant was what his brother would have wanted.

He said: "The family is very proud that Yoni was able to give life to others, it is without doubt in keeping with his wishes.

"The most important principle here is that life was given to another human being. I think it’s unimportant what religion, what nationality."