Noam Gershony, a former Israeli helicopter pilot who was severely wounded in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, won a gold medal in tennis at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. (Barbara Silverstein photo)
From the Canadian Jewish News | by Barbara Silverstein | February 8, 2018
Noam Gershony flew all kinds of dangerous missions when he was an Apache helicopter pilot.
Today, however, going up a flight of stairs is a challenge for him. His legs can no longer bear weight and he is forced to use his upper body and crutches to move short distances. “I feel pain with every step,” he said.
Gershony, 35, carried out his final mission in July 2006, during the Second Lebanon War. He was severely wounded following a mid-air collision with another helicopter.
“I woke up a week later with no memory of the accident. I was in pain. I couldn’t speak. My jaw was wired shut … I could not move my legs and arms,” he told a group of 100 people gathered in Toronto on Feb. 1 for a fundraiser for the Kids of Courage Program run by Beit Halochem Canada, Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel.