2 Members of the Cohen Family
from Afula Donate Bone Marrow

To Chen Cohen, a soldier from Afula, it was clear that she would donate bone marrow to save a life, precisely as her sister Revital did a few years ago. Their parents, Simon and Rina Cohen of "The Desert Charm from Morocco" are known as the "Giving people from Afula," a family that gladly give with kindness to others. They truly deserve a round of applause!

Chen Cohen, a 19 year old soldier from Afula, couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. She was just acting as they taught her at home - with love and devotion for others.

When Chen was inducted into the IDF, she gave a bone marrow sample at Ezer Mizion's collections Station at the IDF base as part of her induction into the army. The lab testing of her blood sample was sponsored by the Alan Cohen Donor Pool and Chen became part of that donor pool within Ezer Mizion's Registry.

A few months later, she got a phone call informing her that her bone marrow matched that of a young man her age who has leukemia and is fighting for his life.

Chen immediately knew that she would save the boy she had never seen or met. "Not that I wasn't afraid," Chen was honest. "But despite that, it was clear to me that I had to save his life - and that's what I did."

Chen donated bone marrow to the young man, when all she knew about him was that he was her age and had already recovered once from leukemia, but then it came back. "In another year, I'll know how he is doing, and then, if we want, in another two years we'll meet," said Chen.

In the Cohen family, kindness is their staff of life.  Chen's 30 year old sister Revital also donated bone marrow when she was still in the army and saved a life.

"I'm proud of our girls. That's how we brought them up," said their father, Simon Cohen, manager of the "Desert Charm from Morocco."

Simon and his wife Rina always donate generously and with great pleasure on behalf of needy children and the poor. "They call us the "giving family of Afula" because we are always ready to give everyone and to help whenever we can - and all with a smile. That's the secret of our success. It's our credo!" said Simon.

Shown at right: Alan Cohen, in whose memory the Alan Cohen Donor Pool was set up.  Chen's transplant was the nineteenth that was facilitated by Alan's personalized pool.