Daniel Kopylov: A Story of Resilience and Healing

That’s my prosthetic. I’m amputated about the knee. Daniel Kopylov is just 20 years old. He loves hiking and spending time in nature. And he was recently drafted into the Israeli army. Like almost all other 18 year olds in Israel, he had just finished his commander’s course when he was called to serve in Gaza. And on his first day there, his unit entered a booby trapped building. I was the first one to enter the building with my officer. Terrorist activated booby trap from far and the building exploded. I just remembered that my leg was cut off. Three of my friends died and I was basically in a unconscious for two and a half days. I got my leg amputated. They took part of my stomach and I got burned all over my hands, my face. Daniel has been in treatment at Sheba Medical Center for five months now. His family has had to leave their home in northern Israel and move to the center near the hospital so that once he’s released, he’ll be able to continue going to rehab. Do you feel like you’re the same person as before? Yes and no. I had like plans after the army. I’m not able to do all the things that I want to do or for now, everything in your life basically changed. A lot of my plans, they like were cancelled or I need to adopt them to the. To my disability. Daniel’s hoping to be Released from the hospital this month, but there are still hundreds of wounded Israelis being treated in hospitals across the country.