THE STORY
“I wish to live because I love life”
Avichai Levy – An Inspiration
Avichai is defined as a medical conference by all accounts.
He kept fighting and winning with rare kidney disease, countless treatments, and various other health issues. He won despite everything and survived every battle he faced. The reason? His approach towards it all. He fought with optimism, adherence to a purpose, a passionate desire to be healthy, and persistence. All thanks to his love for life and a strong belief that never leaves, Avichai is a story of victory and incredible ability to live and pass every obstacle in the way. The best part? He did that with a huge smile that captures hearts wherever he goes.
What’s Next?
Although Avichai’s struggle has been going on for 40 years, he and his loved ones are not ready to give up.
Knowing that the only chance of Avichai’s survival is yet another high-risk surgery, it became his sister Tali’s life mission to find a surgeon who would accept the challenge of performing a transplant one last time.
Fighting for ten years from 2010 to 2020, Avichai had to endure various negative responses from hundreds of hospitals and surgeons who thought that another kidney transplant was not viable. And then, fortunately, an internet search made his father come across Prof. Bnei Dekel, a world-renowned researcher who had successfully bred Kidney stem cells outside the human body and re-implanted them in mice and pigs. In addition, as if life also didn’t want to give up on Avichai, they found a university in San Francisco that was deep in the experiments for developing a mechanical kidney. This mechanical kidney could be another option and a perfect solution, not only for Avichai but for all kidney patients worldwide.
Avichai, Tali, or their father are not ready to give up. To achieve their goal, they have launched two books and a film narrating the inspiring and miraculous life journey of Avichai. These books and film talk about kidney diseases, dialysis, various life-saving studies that can eliminate dialysis, and Avichai Levy, a real-life hero with a wish to live.
The Story
Avichai was only four years old when he was diagnosed with a very rare kidney disorder. And so, at the age when little boys play the pretend game of fighting, Avichai began a real fight – the fight for his life that’s still going on after 40 long years.
Since the young age of four, his parents and his sister tried every possible option to help him fight this disease and live a healthy life. From conventional treatment options to not-so-conventional ones, from modern technologies to ancient remedies – they tried every option available to give him the life he deserved. The faith, the struggle, the hope, and all the hard work somewhat worked, making Avichai a one-of-its-kind case as he survived 40 years with this condition.
Against all odds, Avichai is still standing after around 40 years of dialysis, over 200 surgeries, two transplants, multiple heart attacks, and even a stroke. Yes, the list is long! But Avichai, along with his father and sister, fought it all with courage and determination.
And now, his last available artery for dialysis is slowly fading away. But his courage and determination are still as bright as new.
Mission
To make more people learn about kidney diseases and how to fight them correctly. We aim to tell Avishay’s story to the world through our website, books, and movies so that more people can find the motivation and strength to fight whatever they are facing. We want to tell people that life is wonderful!
Vision
To create a world with more awareness, more motivation, more determination, and a lot more happiness.