The family of an Israel Defense Forces soldier who died in Lebanon met on Sunday with an IDF officer who received a cornea transplant from the deceased man.

Sgt. First Class Guy Ludar, 21, from Yuvalim in the Lower Galilee, served in the Maglan special forces unit, part of the 89th Commando Brigade.

He was killed by “friendly fire” during a nighttime operation to arrest a Hezbollah helper in the village of Shebaa, north of Mount Hermon.

Before his death, Ludar signed an ADI Donor Card, and his tissues were donated to save lives, healthcare provider Clalit Health Services said in a statement.

Lt. Shily Leibovitch, a 22-year-old from Omer near Beersheva and a team commander in the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion, was injured in both eyes about two months ago during operational activity in Lebanon.

He underwent four surgeries and suffered severe damage to the retina and cornea in his right eye. The donation of Ludar’s cornea enabled the Ophthalmology Department at the Clalit wing at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah to treat the retina and attempt to restore Leibovitch’s eye, according to the Clalit-Beilinson Spokesperson’s Office.

Since then, the eye’s function has improved, and Leibovitch continues to undergo follow-up treatment ahead of the next stages of his recovery, the statement read.

Meeting with Ludar’s family at Beilinson Hospital, Leibovitch was quoted as saying, “Friends from Guy’s unit told me about Guy, that he was a smiling, joyful person who influenced so many people, and that everyone close to him carried a little piece of Guy with them through life. I was given the privilege of receiving the light of his eyes. I’m honored to be the one who continues his light in this world, and I hope to do so in the best way possible.”

Hagit, Ludar’s mother, said, “Guy made every person feel like they were his best friend. He did a year of national service in [the] Armon HaNatziv [neighborhood] in Jerusalem, worked with youth, and touched the lives of so many children, parents and teachers. To this day I still receive messages from children Guy stayed in touch with even after he enlisted, and today they are all grieving and staying connected with us.

“We didn’t know that Guy had signed an ADI Donor Card, but the moment we were asked about donation on the hardest day of our lives, we didn’t hesitate. It was clear to us that this is what he would have wanted, to make the world better, to help wherever and however he could. It was simply a natural continuation of who Guy was.”

Ludar’s father, Nir, said that his son “was a remarkable young man—handsome, intelligent, talented in everything he did, with a huge soul, sensitive, caring and kind-hearted. Everywhere he went, including in the army, he touched everyone he met. He was the one who lifted up his friends in difficult moments, who had deep conversations with them, and who celebrated with them in joyful times. He was an excellent and professional soldier who paid attention to every detail. And he always wanted to help.”

Clalit cited Dr. Assaf Dotan, head of the Retina Unit at Clalit-Beilinson, as saying that Leibovitch’s path to full recovery is still long, but that his vision has improved thanks to Ludar’s cornea donation.

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