Innovation and bravery can go hand-in-hand in Israel, and that is the case with 20-year-old Shani Shayo, as Ynet reports. At 12, she was diagnosed with rare bone cancer and later underwent a 15-hour surgery to remove the tumor from her cervical spine. Now, after eight years of check-ups and being declared cancer-free, Shayo rejected her military service exemption and joined the IDF reserves with her full strength regained.
The 15-hour surgery had to be performed with precision as even the smallest injury to the portion of Shayo’s spinal cord that traveled through the tumor could cause paralysis. Stabilization of the area alone took about seven hours. The cutting-edge procedure also involved reaching the tumor through an incision through her throat – this enabled her doctors to work above and below it.
Prof. Zvi Lidar, head of spinal surgery at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, agreed to take on the challenge. “It was one of the most difficult procedures described in the medical literature,” he explained. “Only about 40 patients worldwide have undergone this operation. In Israel, I’ve performed four.”
Ewing sarcoma often presents with pain at the tumor site. In Shani’s case, it had developed in the C3 cervical vertebra, close to the skull. “Its position made it uniquely challenging, requiring high technical skill, experience, and patience,” said Lidar.
“I was given an exemption from military service, but there was no way I would accept that,” Shani says. “I fought for the right to serve—even if only as a volunteer. I completed two full years in the army, and now I’m in the reserves. Nothing in life gives you the same sense of health and belonging as serving in the IDF. After the best doctors in the country treated me and saved me, when I turned 18, it was my turn to give back.”
At a time when IDF reservists are answering the call, Shayo chose to do the same. Even after years of painstakingly making sure she heals and returns to full strength, she fought for the right to serve in the IDF and defend Israel and her people. The Fellowship and our generous supporters pray and remain committed to the brave men and women of the IDF and their families.
