Ten-year-old Oran Almog, who was severely wounded in both eyes in the Maxim Restaurant terrorist massacre last month, is scheduled to return to Israel today, after undergoing medical treatment in an Alabama hospital.
Oran lost one eye in the bombing, and his other eye was damaged beyond what could be repaired in Israel. With the help of family and friends, he was brought to the University of Alabama where a team led by Dr. Robert Morris performed the delicate surgery - paid for by the Israeli government - needed to save the eye. In an eight-hour operation, the doctors were in fact able to remove blood clots and scar tissue, untwist the retina and reattach it, restore pressure in the eye, and perform a corneal transplant to complete the reconstruction. Oran (ben Moshe), now said to be able to identify colors and shapes, faces a long recovery process back home in Israel.
Oran was dining with his extended family in the Haifa restaurant on Oct. 4 when a female Palestinian terrorist walked in and detonated the explosive vest with which she had been equipped. The ensuing explosion killed 21 people, including Oran's father, grandparents, brother, and cousin. Oran's mother and 4-year-old sister were also wounded, and his aunt Galit (bat Ruth), whose son was killed, is still hospitalized in serious condition.
Other victims of recent terror attacks who face a long recuperation are:
* Sarah bat [daughter of] Chana, who was wounded in the #2 bus bombing this past August;
* Sigal bat Eva, a soldier who was very seriously wounded in the terrorist shooting attack in Netzarim on Oct. 24 in which three others were killed;
* Shachaf ben [son of] Zilpa, the soldier who was seriously hurt in the Oct. 19th ambush outside Ofrah in which three others were killed;
* Eyal Chaim ben Chaya Dvora Raizel, who was moderately-to-seriously wounded by terrorist gunfire in Hevron on Oct. 22;
* Hadar ben Tova, 3, very seriously wounded in the Maxim Restaurant bombing on Oct. 4;
* Wounded in the Hillel Cafe attack on Sept. 9 were Shimrit bat Shoshana, Neta bat Batsheva, Adi'el ben Henya, Aryeh ben Sarah, and Kati bat Rosie.
Oran lost one eye in the bombing, and his other eye was damaged beyond what could be repaired in Israel. With the help of family and friends, he was brought to the University of Alabama where a team led by Dr. Robert Morris performed the delicate surgery - paid for by the Israeli government - needed to save the eye. In an eight-hour operation, the doctors were in fact able to remove blood clots and scar tissue, untwist the retina and reattach it, restore pressure in the eye, and perform a corneal transplant to complete the reconstruction. Oran (ben Moshe), now said to be able to identify colors and shapes, faces a long recovery process back home in Israel.
Oran was dining with his extended family in the Haifa restaurant on Oct. 4 when a female Palestinian terrorist walked in and detonated the explosive vest with which she had been equipped. The ensuing explosion killed 21 people, including Oran's father, grandparents, brother, and cousin. Oran's mother and 4-year-old sister were also wounded, and his aunt Galit (bat Ruth), whose son was killed, is still hospitalized in serious condition.
Other victims of recent terror attacks who face a long recuperation are:
* Sarah bat [daughter of] Chana, who was wounded in the #2 bus bombing this past August;
* Sigal bat Eva, a soldier who was very seriously wounded in the terrorist shooting attack in Netzarim on Oct. 24 in which three others were killed;
* Shachaf ben [son of] Zilpa, the soldier who was seriously hurt in the Oct. 19th ambush outside Ofrah in which three others were killed;
* Eyal Chaim ben Chaya Dvora Raizel, who was moderately-to-seriously wounded by terrorist gunfire in Hevron on Oct. 22;
* Hadar ben Tova, 3, very seriously wounded in the Maxim Restaurant bombing on Oct. 4;
* Wounded in the Hillel Cafe attack on Sept. 9 were Shimrit bat Shoshana, Neta bat Batsheva, Adi'el ben Henya, Aryeh ben Sarah, and Kati bat Rosie.