The nightmare began in Gaza when Chen, an IDF soldier, was severely wounded. It was there that he was catapulted from a powerful young man in the prime of life to an incapacitated shell of himself, spending a year, so far, confined to a hospital. Of recent weeks, his world has expanded to include weekly trips home. And that is where Ezer Mizion met up with this brave young man. Simply going home in a car was still an impossible dream. He needed sophisticated mobility equipment which an Ezer Mizion was able to provide. Included in the package was an ambulance driver who had absorbed the Ezer Mizion concept of treating each client with the utmost respect and dignity.
Chen was on the line again. It was not his usual day and he sounded agitated.
“ I’m so sorry for the short notice but I need a ride tomorrow. it’s urgent. I can’t miss it. Please, I just can’t!”
“What is it, Chen? Where to you have to go?”
“Captain Eitan Israel Shiknazi z’l was a close friend. of mine. I’ll never see him again. He was killed in battle last night. I must go to say goodbye. The levaya is tomorrow. Please . Please could you take me??”
The funeral was in Hazor Haglilit, 250 km (155 miles) away in Northern Israel. It was an impossible ask—our ambulances were fully booked with critical commitments.
But at Ezer Mizion, “impossible” isn’t in our vocabulary. With teamwork and quick thinking, we reworked schedules, reassigned vehicles, and made it happen. Ambulance #14, driven by Shlomo Porgess, traveled 741 km (460 miles) that day to ensure Chen could say goodbye to his friend.
For Chen, being there was more than just a gesture—it was a moment of healing and closure, surrounded by his brothers-in-arms. And for us, it was a powerful reminder of what true chessed looks like: supporting one another in the hardest of times.
Ambulance #14, dedicated in memory of Major Aryeh Ziering z”l, carried far more than a wounded soldier that day—it carried love, support, and hope.
Travel by ambulance is often the only option for a person confined to a wheelchair or a bed. Regular treatments or therapy require the patient to travel to the clinic and incur astronomical expenses on a weekly basis. Israel’s health insurance funds cover transportation costs only for specific types of treatments – and even then, only up to 50% of the cost will be refunded. Ezer Mizion, with its fleet of 20 ambulances, offers comfortable ambulance transport to destinations throughout the country – at no charge, saving Israel’s handicapped population millions of dollars a year. The Ezer Mizion Ambulance and Transport Division was established to allow these people to transcend their physical challenges and get from one place to another safely, comfortably and with dignity.
