Gift of Israeli Boy’s Heart to Arab Girl Bonds Families

JERUSALEM — At the bedside of an Arab toddler who received the heart of a Jewish child killed by a car, two mothers wept in each other’s arms.

“Do you know what heart she received? She received an angel’s heart--you don’t know what a heart this boy had,” said Braha Kaveh, whose 8-year-old son, Yuval, was killed Thursday while riding his bike.

Aani Aljaroushi--whose 3-year-old daughter, Rim, was listed in good condition Monday, three days after the transplant--embraced the other woman.

If Rim recovers, it will be Israel’s first successful pediatric heart transplant, the hospital says. Rim was born with an enlarged heart.

Organ transplantation is a complicated subject in Israel. Both Orthodox Jews and traditionalist Muslims believe that bodies should be preserved intact after death, making transplants taboo for many.