Among the personal testimonies that the President of the United States heard during his visit to Israel was that of Ms. Yardena Kopel, a specialist in children's emergencies at Sheba Hospital. On the day of the terrorist attack, she was attending to dozens of wounded who arrived at the hospital by helicopter or ambulance.

She told him about one particularly horrific case, that of an eleven-month-old girl called Yael, who had been burned by the terrorists while in her mother's arms. She was hospitalized with 30% burns to all parts of her body, and is now out of the coma.

"Her mom is also a doctor, and I felt there was a special bond between us. She told me that they were locked in the safe room of their house for six hours. The terrorists tried to set fire to the house, but she managed to escape with her baby and hide under a tractor. When the little girl was taken to hospital, she wasn't crying: she was in a state of complete shock. The only thing I could ask was if I could take her so she could be treated. The mother wanted to save her little girl so much that when they ran out of the burning house, the father and mother held her together in the middle.

I told all this to Biden. In his past, he has been confronted with the mourning of loved ones, and he confided me that the events he went through left a gaping hole in his heart. He also told me how important it is that there should be specialized doctors to enable children to confront reality.

Dr. Kopel told the US President about other difficult cases she had to deal with, including two young teenage girls who had been lying under bodies for six hours, to the point where they now have severe nerve and muscle damage.

"I also told him about the children I had seen that day for treatment: children whose trauma was even more severe than their injuries. I told him that at the hospital we also look after children from Gaza and the West Bank. For me, their nationality makes no difference: if the health of one of them deteriorates, I go straight the hospital. But I have the impression that we have children taken hostage, and nobody knows what's become of them. And I asked myself: is there anyone who cares about our children who are there? Then he came closer to me and whispered, "If only I could tell you something about that!" And in fact, he replied that he had nothing reassuring to say.

Source: Israel HAYOM