Wife Loses 70 Kilos to Donate Kidney to Husband

Rinat Karah, 37, from Eilat, underwent a dramatic weight loss of 70 kilograms to donate a kidney to her husband, Meir, 41, who suffers from severe complications of type 1 diabetes. Meir lost his sight at age 31 due to the disease and later developed kidney failure, requiring dialysis. When doctors informed the couple of Meir's critical condition five years ago, Rinat, then pregnant with twins, immediately offered to be a donor. However, at 130 kilograms, she was told by a transplant surgeon at Beilinson Hospital that she needed to lose a significant amount of weight before she could be considered.

Determined, Rinat took Ozempic injections over 18 months, suppressing her appetite to the point of forgetting to eat, and successfully shed 70 kilograms without dietary or exercise support. She had previously undergone unsuccessful gastric bypass surgery. During her weight loss journey, Meir's condition worsened, and he required dialysis for three months.

In a twist, two weeks before their scheduled surgery, the transplant coordinator proposed a "swapped transplant." Rinat would donate her kidney to a 61-year-old man who had been on dialysis for 16 years, and Meir would receive a kidney from an altruistic donor, Eitan Nachushtan, a 35-year-old teacher. The couple agreed, with Meir securing a guarantee that he would be prioritized for a new kidney if anything went wrong with his transplant.

The surgery was successful for both. Rinat recovered quickly, but Meir faced complications, including recurring infections that led to eight months of hospitalization. The couple credits supportive friends and family for helping care for their three children during their recovery. The transplant has significantly improved their lives, allowing them to travel abroad for the first time since Meir's illness and blindness. Meir, who lost his sight due to diabetes, expressed hope for a future cure, while Rinat feels healthier and more active. Their eldest son, Avichai, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age nine, a condition that runs in their family.