Dr. Eitan Keizman, the heart surgeon from Sheba who treated the donation of the heart valves of the one-year-old baby Ma’ayan Domanovich who was killed in an accident in the Negev, wrote a heartbreaking letter and thanked the family for the decision to donate his organs.
“Dear Domanovich family, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. My name is Eitan and I specialize in pediatric heart surgery. Last Wednesday, on the eve of Independence Day, I heard the terrible news along with the entire Israeli people. I never imagined that in the evening I would receive a call from the transplant coordinator saying that you asked for me to meet Ma’ayan.”
“She asked if I would agree to save his precious, good and innocent heart in favor of valve donation. Despite the enormous burden I felt, I agreed at once and showed up that night in the operating room to do so (together with Alina Levy, who is responsible for heart valve donations).”

“Dear Domanovich family, there are no words to describe how beautiful and pure Ma’ayan was and his perfect heart. I want to tell you that I treated him with infinite gentleness, with devotion, with infinite diligence. I made sure that not even a scar remained. That night, as a new father myself, Ma’ayan was the most precious thing to me, and I want you to know that the act you did is sublime in a way that cannot be described in words. Your greatness of spirit is hardly to be found in our world.”
“Since Wednesday night, I feel like a different person. I feel like Ma’ayan goes everywhere with me, and I promise you, Ma’ayan’s heart will save the hearts of two babies who will need Ma’ayan like air to breathe. I send my best wishes for recovery to all of you. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you and say a prayer for your healing. I have merited throughout my life to help countless children. I feel with all my heart that the privilege of taking care of Ma’ayan is the greatest I have ever received in my life. Its light goes with me. Thank you. Dr. Eitan Keizman.”