Chani Leiter, mother of reserve soldier Neriya Leiter and wife of Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, gave an update Thursday on her son's condition more than a month after he was critically wounded in a ramming attack in September. In an interview with Ynet, she said Neriya remains unconscious, but the family is seeing progress and continues working to aid his recovery.
Neriya was wounded in the ramming attack on Route 443 in the Binyamin region. He was transferred Wednesday from Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for continued rehabilitation, after being removed from life-threatening danger.
Shaare Zedek said in a statement: "Neriya was discharged from hospitalization unconscious, but breathing independently." The hospital added that he was transferred for continued treatment in neurological rehabilitation and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
His mother Chani shared the family's struggle: "We move and fall between pain and hope, but we also strengthen each other and we set ourselves a goal to be in good spirits all the time."
She described the efforts to stimulate her son through various means: "The situation is very complex, because Neriya is still unconscious. We understand from conversations with people who were unconscious that they remember people talking to them and that it's very important to give him stimulation, to talk to him and to do good for him. That's his hope, and that's what's important."
According to her, family members play music for Neriya, speak to him and massage him in the hope of aiding his recovery.
"We play music for him and we massage him even though he's still unconscious. We're seeing progress. At first it was only the immediate family, and now we've expanded the circle, and we'll expand it further, because we understand this is a very long journey," she said.
Neriya, who lives in Chavat Yair in the Shomron, is married with four children. His mother said the family is trying to maintain a routine for his children despite the difficult situation.
"The youngest child knows that his father is in the hospital, and each of the children understands according to his age. We're trying to keep them in a routine, they're receiving help. Of course the family is watching over us and making us happy. It's a turbulent period, but we have each other and we help each other."
