Mother of Late Cancer Patient Niv Chaya Shares How Faith Extended Her Life

Gali Abitan, mother of the late Niv Chaya Abitan, opened up about her daughter's battle with advanced cervical cancer and how faith played a crucial role throughout the ordeal. In an interview with News 14, Gali revealed that doctors gave Niv no chance of survival from the moment she was diagnosed in May 2023. Despite grim medical prognoses, Gali refused to accept the fate and credited her strong belief and hope for extending her daughter's life.

Gali shared that she lived with unwavering faith for three years, ignoring medical opinions and focusing solely on hope. Niv was eulogized four times during her illness due to the severity of her condition. The family even launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance treatments at the largest cancer hospital in Texas, where doctors offered only a 1% chance of success, which Gali regarded as 100% from her perspective.

The mother also recounted how she read chapters from a book she wrote while Niv was hospitalized and undergoing treatment in Texas. Niv held the book just a week before passing away nearly two months ago. Gali emphasized that her faith influenced Niv, who repeatedly told her mother she would recover because her mother said so.

The book, titled "The Journey I Did Not Choose," reflects on the power of faith, the value of life, and the legacy of love and resilience Niv left behind. Niv endured harsh treatments including radiation and complex surgeries both in Israel and the US, which severely affected her young body. Throughout the years, the family relied on public support and prayers, with Niv's husband, Yam Abitan, regularly updating the public on her condition and asking for prayers.

Gali concluded that despite the tragic outcome, the story is not just one of sorrow but of choosing life and love in the face of terminal illness.