Efrat, a woman from Jerusalem, chose to go public and speak about her husband's story, despite her initial reluctance. In an interview, she shared the shock and heartache of her husband's rare medical story, and the biggest obstacles standing in the way of his life.
“My husband’s story is extremely uncommon, just because of the complexity of his case. Refoel Chai is a powerhouse of a man and is well-known in Jerusalem. We raised 14 kids together, and honestly, he’s one of the most dependable people I know - which is why his illness is so out of place for him.
"He was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare and complex illness, which requires an immediate kidney transplant abroad. The problem is, this isn’t a regular transplant. Due to the nature of his illness, it’s an extremely complex surgery, and the cost is staggering - a full $350,000.
"I have young children at home who still need their father, they keep asking me when he’s going to have surgery and I don’t know how to break their heart. We’re a regular working family, we can’t afford that kind of money. Right now, surgery is on hold, but that leaves my husband in a dangerous situation. He’s getting weaker by the day and doctors keep pressuring us. I’ve been through a lot, but I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”
With no other choice, the family opened a fund to raise money for surgery, which was verified by the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, amongst others. Refoel Chai’s life is dependent on donations from the public, and Efrat’s emotional pleas have touched many people. To read a personal letter from Refoel Chai and view endorsements, visit the campaign page.
DONATE TOWARD REFOEL CHAI’S KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
