ABOUT US
“Fighters For Life” was created to support and finance the legal and medical process that a battle impacted combat soldier must undergo in order to receive “official” recognition from the state.
WHAT WE DO
“Fighters for Life” (RA 580640878) is a non-profit organization that supports combat soldiers suffering from PTSD and provides ongoing assistance in all areas of their lives.
OUR GOALS
To assist and finance the medical and legal process necessary for a soldier’s rights to be recognized by the state.
The establishment of a rehabilation & treatment center for combat soldiers.
To raise awareness about PTSD in Israel and beyond.
“Fighters for Life” is a non-profit organization committed to supporting and financing the legal and medical process that IDF soldiers with post-trauma are forced to undergo to receive recognition of their condition and support from the state.
“Fighters for Life” was established in 2017 to answer the cries of IDF fighters wounded in service in defense of our homeland and its people. It was after Golani soldier, Ido Gal Razon, delivered his legendary appeal to the Israeli Knesset committee, demanding rights for IDF soldiers injured during their military service, that our mission began to take shape.
That gut-wrenching cry began a snowball effect among other battle wounded fighters, and we soon discovered hundreds of cases of families whose lives had been broken not only by long-term battle injuries from the field but on top of that, a painfully long, complex and expensive bureaucratic battle just to prove the existence and severity of their injury to the Ministry of Defense.
These men and women have given their lives in service of this land and its people. They live with the crushing weight of physical battle wounds and post-traumatic stress disorder and are asked to continue to fight and endure a bureaucratic battlefield just to get what they are owed.
It is unthinkable.
“Fighters for Life” exists to serve our brothers and sisters in arms. We help them actualize their rights. We fully fund their legal and medical process and provide a network of the leading experts in their fields to assist these brave fighters rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.
SUPPORT IDF SOLDIERS LIVING WITH PTSD
BE A PART OF THE CHANGE
Recognition
Assist and fund the process needed for fighters to receive full recognition of their rights.
Awareness
Create a culture shift and raise awareness about post-trauma and those living with PTSD.
Hope
Be a beacon of light for the wounded fighters who desperately need and deserve our support.
IDO’S STORY
I’ll start from the end- I have PTSD.
My name is Ido Gal Razon, a former Golani soldier, and I suffer from PTSD as a result of my army service.
I have PTSD, me and a thousand others. It always comes first. Before we are “the son-of,“ before we are “married-to,“ before we are “parents-of,“ before all else, we have PTSD.
In 2007 I was a part of an operation in the Gaza Strip called “Clear as Wine,” one of dozens in that area. Our mission was to overtake the house of the mayor of Gaza. After our entry into the house, we realized that we had walked into a set-up. Terrorists had anticipated our arrival and attacked. They surrounded the house, fired RPGs and threw grenades through the windows.
We were injured, and we continued fighting. The terrorists were now at the threshold of the house and we understood this was a kidnapping attempt. This is the situation we were in: RPG explosives flying at us, grenades raining down, injuring us all. My partner Gabi was severely injured and I, injured as well, evacuated him while still under heavy fire.
Another heavy burden I carry on my shoulders, during Operation “Greenhouse Effect” I lost a dear friend, Ben Kobani (may his memory be a blessing). My brother in arms and I found ourselves in the middle of an open field, while our enemies surrounded and opened fire.
Ben was injured during this event. Bullets still flying, we tried to help him the best we could, and finally, after what seemed like an unthinkably long time, a tank came and rescued us. After our arrival at our camp questions started to arise regarding Ben’s death. After recalling the events, we came to the understanding that Ben was most likely killed by the force of our fire. One of us killed him.
The things I’ve seen and the guilt I carry with me constantly don’t let me rest. Although I fought in the war and survived, my day to day life is my real fight. The constant feeling that at any moment I will once again be surrounded by danger, prevents me from coping with simple and basic situations and prevents me from returning to a healthy, normal life.
Banging my head against the wall, severe lack of sleep, extreme sweating and flashbacks are just a few of the many symptoms that I live with.
As a result of my injury and my personal story and in dedication to my dear friends who are no longer with us, I began to wage a new battle to help the injured IDF soldiers. This is how Fighters for Life was born.
Yours,
Ido