"Itai has gained a big brother," say Miri and Boaz Harel from Rishon Lezion, parents of 4 year old Itai.  They are referring to Alon Ben-Yair, the soldier whose donation of bone marrow saved the little boy's life.

At two and a half years of age, Itai was diagnosed with leukemia.  "We very quickly understood that he would need a bone marrow transplant," recalls Boaz. Fortunately, a donor was found in less than two months through Ezer Mizion's Bone Marrow Donor Registry. 

The transplant was carried out a year ago and Itai recovered quickly.  "The tests all show that every thing is fine," says Boaz.  "Thanks to the transplant, Itai beat the disease. Soon, he'll start kindergarten."

Alon Ben-Yair is serving in the Kfir Unit of the Israel Defense Forces.  He was in the first group of soldiers who gave blood samples as part of the induction process - accordingly to a special agreement between the IDF and Ezer Mizion in late 2005. The cost of initial lab testing Alon's blood sample when he joined the Registry was sponsored by the Ady Gil Donor Pool.

A year and eight months later, an army doctor contacted the young solider and informed him that he was a match for a cancer patient.  "I didn't really understand," says Alon.  "It sounded like he was talking Chinese to me.  Only on the day of the donation did it sink in that I was saving someone's life."

According to regulations, a donor and recipient may meet only after one year has elapsed from the day of the transplant.  That day recently arrived.  Boaz and Miri prepared Itai to meet "Sergeant A" - as they referred to the donor, whose identity was still unknown to them.

"Itai understands that thanks to Alon he is healthy and wanted to meet him," says Miri.  "Now, in addition to our children Elad and Itai, we have another son whose name starts with [the Hebrew letter] aleph."

"There is no way for us to thank Alon for what he did," adds Boaz.  "As excited as we were, and as much as we looked forward to this day, the reality is way beyond what anyone can imagine.  He has restored joy to our lives."