Meet Ronen.� He may be young and charming, but life hasn�t been easy for him.� For the past seventeen years he has been suffering from kidney disease and has been hooked up to dialysis machines several times a week.
Now meet Tomer.�Until very recently, he knew nothing about kidney disease or about transplants.�But he is intrigued by the idea of outstanding wine and haute cuisine.� So he attended a wine tasting event in New Jersey last summer that was also a fundraiser for Renewal, the organization that facilitates kidney transplants.�And that�s how Tomer was zoche to save a life.
Renewal is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting people suffering from various forms of kidney disease.�They are a multi-faceted pro-active team that is dedicated to saving lives through kidney donation.� To date, they have been instrumental in facilitating over 120 kidney transplants in the community.�Renewal is there for every patient and their family at every stage of the challenging journey towards health, providing many services to both donor and recipient.
Every transplant has a story, and each one is a lesson in hashgacha pratis.� But Ronen and Tomer�s story is especially miraculous.� Tomer, a resident of Monsey and a father of four,� came to the Herzog Wine and Food Tasting Event at The View on the Hudson in Piermont, NY last August.��While he was there, he watched a video about Renewal and the idea of becoming a donor appealed to him.� So he approached Rabbi Menachem Friedman, Program Director of Renewal.� �I gave him my number at the office,� says Rabbi Friedman.� �I wondered if he was really serious.�
He was.� He pursued the topic with Renewal relentlessly.� When he was tested, he was found to be a suitable match for Ronen.� Three months later, a life is saved.
Ronen and Tomer met for the first time (see picture) on Thursday morning, right before the transplant was to take place.� By all accounts, it was an emotional and inspiring meeting.� �When Tomer benched Ronen in front of all of us,� says Rabbi Friedman, �there wasn�t a dry eye in the room.�
The procedure was performed just last Thursday and both Ronen and Tomer are recovering well.� Tomer is already back home, resting comfortably.� This procedure�s success is truly an opportunity to rejoice.� �Ronen�s case was especially challenging,� says Rabbi Friedman.� �He was on dialysis for much longer than anyone else we know.� Over the past three years, over 200 people were tested but we couldn�t find a suitable donor for him because he has an extremely high antibody rate.�� Then along came Tomer, and Ronen�s prayers were answered.
According to Rabbi Friedman, �We at Renewal feel privileged to have had the zechus of being a part of this great mitzvah.”
For more information about Renewal, contact [email protected] or call 718-431-9831
(YWN Desk – NYC)
