Starting From Zero
Dror Kendelstein
It is every Israeli parent’s worst nightmare —
that unexpected, heart-stopping knock on the door.
He was heartbroken and angry, but he was also determined. Dror had to start from zero. He had to re-learn everything, including how to talk and eat.
Dror Kendelstein
On August 8, 2006, Marcel and Itzik Kendelstein were sure they were going to be told that their son Dror, who was serving in Lebanon, was dead. They were relieved to hear that Dror was alive — but barely. He had suffered a severe head injury. They braced themselves for what lay ahead.
Dror Kendelstein receives physio at a Beit Halochem Centre in Israel.
When the Second Lebanon War broke out, Dror immediately responded to the call. This was not his first time serving in the army. He had previously been in many life-threatening situations, especially in Gaza. He was proud to protect Israel.
His platoon was positioned in the outskirts of Bint Jbeil, surrounded by enemies.
We were supposed to clear the terrain for heavy Engineering Corps vehicles, the D-9 and the Pumas (armored personnel carriers). We lay low to secure the vehicles from enemy ambush. Many hours passed, and then I vaguely remember falling back. Everything went blank. A bullet had penetrated through my forehead.”
Dror’s life suddenly changed forever.
For seven long months Dror was unconscious. When he was able to sit up strapped in a chair, his eyes were open but he was unresponsive and non-communicative.
Itzik talks of the pain of watching his son confined to a wheelchair, completely detached.
We’d talk to him, play music that he loved, put him in front of a television. But nothing — nothing.
Finally, the doctors told his parents that his brain was in distress and that a drainage tube had to be inserted if he was ever going to wake up. It was a very risky procedure, but thankfully successful. When Dror awoke he remembered what had happened. Unfortunately he also found out that his world was shattered. He was a quadriplegic who suffered epileptic seizures and had a speech impediment.
He was heartbroken and angry, but he was also determined. Dror had to start from zero. He had to re-learn everything, including how to talk and eat. This took many years of painful, intensive rehabilitation and he still has a long way to go. Dror is a courageous young man who is fighting to regain his life.
Thanks to your dedication and commitment to the wellbeing of Israel’s heroes like Dror, he is able to access the finest rehabilitative care at our Beit Halochem Centre. We will support him today and for the rest of his life.
Dror travels 45 minutes each way to the Beit Halochem Centre close to his home. His physiotherapy and occupational therapy are often agonizing, but Dror perseveres, never giving in to the pain. At Beit Halochem he also plays table tennis to sharpen his skills and receives computer training.
Dror passionately wants his independence, and at Beit Halochem we are determined to assist him in reaching his goal. Our broad array of therapies and services provide state-of-the-art treatment for disabled veterans like Dror.