'Unbelievable full circle': Terror attack survivor’s kidney saves rescuer’s brother 24 years later

An altruistic kidney donation brought together a survivor of a deadly terrorist attack and the brother of the man who saved his life, in a coincidence discovered shortly before the transplant, Clalit Health Services announced on Thursday.

Yonatan Rom decided to participate in an Israeli paired kidney exchange program as an anonymous donor about a year ago. Ahead of the transplant he was matched for, Rom decided to meet the recipient at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital.

In the initial conversation between Rom and Reuven Tam, the two discovered that Rom was a teacher at a pre-military academy when a terrorist attacked 24 years ago. Beyond that, however, Reuven Tam's brother, Eyal Tam, was the emergency response squad commander who ended the incident.

"Your brother saved my life 24 years ago, and today I am saving yours with my kidney," Rom told Tam after they traced their connection.

"None of this was planned," he went on. "Eyal stopped the terrorist and ended the massacre. I arrived at the scene in my car, the terrorist opened fire on us, and only minutes later Eyal arrived and neutralized him."

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"What are the chances that, out of all the donors and recipients, these two people would be brought together, the recipient whose brother had once saved the donor's life during a terrorist attack?" Anat Briger, Transplant Coordinator at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, said.

There are no 'odds'. It could go a long way in explaining why the donor had been spared in the first place.

"In Yalkut Shimoni it states that the reason David did not kill Shimei was that he was with the Holy Spirit that Mordechai would come from him and would save the Jewish people."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimei_ben_Gera

David's was a generous act of unmerited kindness, a savings deposit for a good return on investment, because you never know:

2 Samuel 16
11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

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