Amit is married with 2 daughters, ages 8 and 5. During the Lebanon War in 2006, as Amit rushed to the aid of a wounded comrade, he opened a door only to have a rocket fly past and explode in the wall next to him. He received multiple shrapnel wounds. One piece entered his head from below his left ear and exited his forehead. It was this injury that plunged him into darkness and paralyzed the right side of his body. It took more than a year of physical therapy before the 35-year-old father of two young daughters was finally ready to leave the hospital and return home to continue his rehabilitation. Amit was determined not to be a burden on his family and to return to his previous life as much as possible.
He first heard about Guide Dogs from fellow visually-impaired veterans at the Disabled Veterans Rehabilitation Center. Their descriptions of how their dogs had changed their lives persuaded him to contact our Center. Once he was interviewed and assessed, all that was left to do was to wait.
Amit says the day he received the call telling him that he was invited to join our class, “there was no one in the world happier than I was.” He wanted a dog to help him regain his mobility and independence, but he also wanted a faithful companion to help ease the feeling of isolation.
On his second day in the course, Amit was introduced to his dog, Dylan, whom he describes as “amazing.” This “tall, strong” black Labrador immediately came up and started licking him. He speaks movingly about walking with Dylan down an open sidewalk for the first time: “What a sense of freedom! It was the most wonderful feeling I have had since I was injured.” Amit is amazed at how well the Center helps blind individuals feel comfortable and confident. He looks forward to getting on with his life, working with Dylan and, “going back to being a whole person.” Just one of hundreds of heroes whose stories you make possible through your support of the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind.
Benny: (as told by his daughter): As long as I can remember, Dad was a fast walker. He walked as if nothing could keep him from reaching his destination—despite the fact that he was slowly going blind. When he lost his vision, he flatly refused to use assistive devices. His chances of getting injured increased. It took a long time to convince him to try a Guide Dog. When Dad got Bamba, an incredible female Golden Retriever, his life and ours were transformed. Bamba became an inseparable part of his life. They played and rolled around on the floor at home, ‘power-walked’ the length and breadth of the city and beyond, and, most importantly, Dad returned home each day healthy and whole and able to enjoy the same quality of life he had before he became blind.