She Organized Dozens of Funerals: Until Her Own Heart Stopped

In the months following October 7, as Israel faced one of the most painful periods in its history, Major Sivan Skali Ben Zichri found herself on the front lines in a different way. As a reservist casualty officer, her role was to support grieving families and organize military funerals again and again, day after day.

The weight of that responsibility eventually became too much for her body to bear.

After organizing dozens of funerals and absorbing the pain of so many families, Sivan suffered cardiac arrest and entered a state of clinical death. By what she describes as a miracle, she survived and is now in rehabilitation.

Carrying the Nation’s Grief

In an interview with Channel 12, Sivan shared that she had no prior heart issues. Her collapse came after months of intense emotional strain.

“I went from one funeral to another,” she said. “I made sure everything ran smoothly, that the families received the support they needed. I was there from beginning to end, hearing every eulogy.”

What made this period different was the sheer intensity.

“In normal times, you do your job and it ends there,” she explained. “But here, it didn’t end. It was one funeral after another. I heard the pain of the families, and the pain of the entire nation. My heart simply couldn’t contain it.”

The Moment Her Body Gave Out

Sivan found it impossible to disconnect from her role, even at home. The emotional burden followed her everywhere.

At one of the final funerals she organized, she began to feel something was wrong.

“I was at Kiryat Shaul cemetery, where they were preparing many graves,” she recalled. “I suddenly felt like I couldn’t stand. There was pressure in my chest, but I didn’t think it was something serious.”

The next morning, the pain intensified.

“At four thirty in the morning, it felt like someone was reaching into my chest and pulling my heart out. I had never felt anything like it. I woke my husband and told him to call an ambulance.”

Although initial tests appeared normal, Sivan insisted something was wrong.

“I know my body,” she said. “This was not a panic attack.”

Fighting for Her Life

Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Sivan went into cardiac arrest.

Her husband watched as she lost consciousness. “He saw me actually die,” she said.

Doctors immediately began a prolonged resuscitation effort that lasted approximately 52 minutes, using repeated electrical shocks. Eventually, they connected her to an ECMO machine, a specialized life support system that temporarily replaces heart and lung function.

Further testing revealed that one of her heart arteries had torn, an extremely rare event for someone with no prior health issues.

Doctors concluded that the cause was severe stress.

A Return to Life

For nearly an hour, Sivan remained without a pulse, in a state of clinical death.

“The heart had stopped,” she said. “The fact that I survived is a miracle.”

After several days on life support, her husband asked the doctors to wake her on a meaningful date.

“I woke up exactly on my 40th birthday,” she said. “I opened my eyes.”

A Long Road to Recovery

Today, Sivan is undergoing both physical and emotional rehabilitation.

As a result of the life saving treatment, a nerve in her leg was affected, and she currently walks with the assistance of a cane. She continues neurological and cardiac rehabilitation as she slowly regains strength.

“It will take time,” she said. “Physically and emotionally. But the most important thing is that I am alive.”

A Personal Miracle

Looking back, Sivan sees her survival as something beyond medical explanation.

“This is my miracle,” she said.

Her story reflects not only a personal struggle, but the immense emotional toll carried by those who stand beside grieving families in times of national tragedy.

In the shadow of October 7, her experience is a powerful reminder of the human cost behind the headlines, and of the strength it takes to carry the pain of an entire people.