Cyprus donor provides life-saving heart transplant to Israeli woman

A successful heart transplant was performed at Beilinson Hospital in Israel, involving a donor from Cyprus. The operation was completed within 26 hours of the initial notification regarding the available organ.

The donor, a young Cypriot woman who died in a traffic accident, provided a heart suitable for a 45-year-old woman who had been waiting approximately two years for a transplant. The medical procedure required intense international coordination. While an Israeli team removed the heart in Nicosia, medical teams from Cyprus and Greece managed the procurement of the lungs, liver, and kidneys.

Logistical challenges included securing emergency funding and finding an available aircraft during the summer holiday period. After the heart was transported via helicopter to Larnaca Airport and flown to Israel, it reached the operating room in less than an hour. Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi, director of the Israel National Transplant Center, noted that the success relied on seamless coordination between hospitals, airports, and customs authorities across the involved nations.