In the blink of an eye, Asael's world was shattered. While deployed in the summer of 2006 during the war against Hezbollah terrorists, his tank crew lost its bearings in Bint Jbail, an enemy stronghold in Southern Lebanon. The young IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldier peered outside to find his way and saw a flash of light. "An anti-tank missile was speeding towards me," he recalls.

The explosion partially severed one of his legs, shattered bones in the other, and badly burned his face and hands.

Medics airlifted Asael to a hospital in Israel, where he endured 11 operations. Doctors reattached his right leg with muscles they transplanted from his back. Despite that miracle, no one gave him hope that he would fully recover; no one except Ya'akov Selavan, an 18-year-old teen with long hair and a big smile.

Ya'akov kept appearing in Asael's hospital room, bringing strawberry juice and words of encouragement. "He told me he was sure I would recover, that everything would be okay, and I would be healthy in the end," Asael recalls.

A Good Idea Gains Momentum
A close encounter with death prompted Ya'akov to establish Itchem Kol HaDerech (With You All the Way). After he graduated from high school, but before he entered military service, Ya'akov and his cousin were volunteers in Tzefat (a town in the Galil), fixing homes destroyed by Hezbollah missiles. Suddenly, a bomb exploded nearby. "All my life, I realized that I was safe because soldiers were protecting me," Ya'akov says. "If they're risking life and limb for us, we need to find a way to say thank you.

As wounded troops flooded a local hospital, he and his cousin visited them. "I wrote home explaining what I was doing," says Ya'akov, "and my dad distributed my letter to many people. Suddenly I started getting e-mails expressing support." Donations flowed to Itchem Kol HaDerech from around the Jewish world.

Healing War's Trauma
At first, Ya'akov and his friends simply bought cookies for the soldiers. But after they raised enough money to spend 400 shekalim a day (about $97), they could be more creative with their caring. "Yo try to discover what's special about each soldier," says Ya'akov. "We'd analyze how each person was doing and try to remember a little something about each one." For example, one volunteer, Uriel Ben-Yitzchak, learned each patient's favorite songs and played them on his guitar.

Such dedication caught the eye of Todah L'Tzahal, a well-respected organization that provides similar services to soldiers. The group challenged Ya'akov: "Visit every wounded soldier in the country, and keep tabs on them after they're discharged from the hospital." With fewer than 20 volunteers, Itchem Kol HaDerech achieved this feat. "He came almost every day for months," says Asael, remembering how Ya'akov and his friends planned parties and arranged celebrity visits for wounded soldiers.

Ya'akov also befriended Dubi, a commander in the Engineering Corps, who lost a leg while rescuing a comrade. The compassionate teen carried messages between Dubi and the soldier whom the commander had saved. "Ya'akov was simply an angel for us," Dubi says. Surgeons and nurses reattached Dubi's leg, but Itchem Kol HaDerech helped him heal from the trauma of war. "Emotionally, Ya'akov helped me maintain a sense of proportion," says Dubi. The volunteer's kindness reminded the wounded hero that his personal sacrifice was appreciated.

Lately, Itchem Kol HaDerech's phone rings endlessly. Although Ya'akov is now serving in the IDF, his organization continues to follow wounded veterans from hospital to hospital. Even after they return home, Itchem Kol HaDerech volunteers stay in touch and invite the troops to events. "We're with them all the way-kol haderekh, " Ya'akov says.