A Mother’s Promise, A Miracle, and a Gift of Life

Twelve years ago, Ravit became a mother to a precious baby girl named Gili. But Gili’s birth came with heartbreaking news: she was born with a rare condition—only one lung and a dangerously narrow airway. The doctors gave her almost no chance of survival. They gently told the parents to prepare to say goodbye.

But Ravit refused to give up.

She held her daughter close and made a silent promise to G-d: “If my Gili survives, I will one day give life to someone else in need.” That promise would stay in her heart for years.

Ravit and her husband searched for every possible way to help their daughter. They found hope in a new and risky surgery offered in London—a procedure that had only been done a few times. It was frightening, but with great faith and courage, they flew Gili overseas.

The surgery was successful, Baruch Hashem. After a long recovery and constant medical care at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Israel, Gili began to thrive. Today, she lives a full, normal life—just like any other girl her age.

Now, Gili is turning 12—her Bat Mitzvah year—and Ravit knew the time had come to fulfill her vow.

She went to Beilinson Hospital and donated one of her kidneys to a complete stranger—a patient whose life depended on this gift.

“I feel like the happiest person in the world,” Ravit said with emotion. “When my daughter was healed, I promised to give life to someone else. There are no words that can truly thank Hashem for the miracle we received. But by giving, by helping someone with no expectation of anything in return, I felt like I could finally say thank You.”

She added, “This is Gili’s Bat Mitzvah year, and we both received and gave a gift. What could be more beautiful than that?”

Doctors at Beilinson and Schneider were deeply moved by Ravit’s story.

Dr. Evyatar Nesher, head of the transplant department at Beilinson, said: “This is a powerful story of kindness, courage, and the values that make our people so special. It reminds us that we live in a society where people care deeply and act from the heart.”

Dr. Efrat Baron-Harlev, director of Schneider Medical Center, remembered Gili as a tiny baby in intensive care. “She was so small and had to go through so much,” she said. “It didn’t surprise me that her mother would grow up to do something so noble. It’s an act of pure giving.”

Dr. Sigal Eisner, one of the transplant surgeons, added, “As someone who helps children get kidney transplants, this story really touched me. It’s a full-circle moment of giving—from a mother who once needed a miracle, to someone who became the miracle for another.”