My mother had decided to come and visit my brother and I who was also in yeshiva at the time and arrived in December on my birthday, right before Chanukah. My brother went to pick her up and explained that I couldn't come because I wasn't feeling well which concerned my mother. But her concern was heightened when she saw me for the first time - very pale and thin, I had lost about 25-30 pounds since she last saw me due to the constant vomiting.  Which miraculously never happened on Shabbat - No matter what I ate, I kept it down on Shabbat.

 

A friend of my mothers who just happened to be a doctor in Israel recommended  that we go to Hadassah En Kerem ,which we went  the first night of Chanukah and had a blood test done. They asked for another sample as they were in Disbelief at the numbers that were coming out. My blood pressure was at 175 over 115 and the blood work showed that I had Kidney Failure and that only 10% of my Kidneys were functioning. I was also anemic and malnourished due to the Constant Vomiting. I was in shock and not expecting anything closely related to what they were telling us. I started dialysis right away and wasn't able to leave the hospital for 2 and a half weeks. I was constantly being visited by family, friends and rabbis from Yeshiva and was never really alone. After more tests were done , they were able to determine that my creatianin (toxicity in the blood) was a shocking 13.6 when it should have been a 1 or 1.5. I had to have a few minor tests and surgeries done which didn't always go as planned. After an attempt at a biopsy went bad - internal bleeding and blood clots in my bladder had to be rectified with a catheter . They then had trouble putting a Hemo Catheter in my neck so they had to put in it my thigh and then a week later surgically placed in my chest . But thank G-d these were all minor complications compared to other problems that could have occurred.

 

I was finally released from the hospital after a few months and then had to be on Dialysis 3x a week 4 hours a session. I was flown straight to Dr. Matalons Dialysis Clinic in New York. Still the doctors did not know what was wrong, all they knew was the basics - That I had Kidney Failure. We were told to see one of the leading specialists in the world for a diagnosis. But we were warned that it was impossible to ever get an appointment with him. Through G-ds help we were able to make contact on the 3rd phone call and the secretary was very understanding and shocked at how young i was and told my mother to bring my files over right away so the doctor could get a better look at them because he was soon to be traveling out of the country for a lecture. It took another 6 weeks till we got to see him and he decided that the only solution was a Kidney transplant and that still they weren't sure of the cause but that a transplant was my only hope.

 

After continuing on with my dialysis 3x a week ,traveling back and forth from Deal, New Jersey to the Dialysis Center on 34th street in New York at 4 a.m. we- my mother and I - who never left my side since that first blood test was taken in Israel were worn out and switched to Red Banks Riverview Medical Center in New jersey, which was not our first choice at all but G-d had other plans because it turned out to be better than we had originally wanted.

 

I stayed there a couple of months while researching the possibility of a Transplant and checked out the different hospital systems and donors and the best route to take. Our First donor was a 25 year old boy who just merely wanted to do a Chesed. He had answered an ad in the Jewish Press put by someone else and after the necessary tests were done it was determined that they weren't a good enough match so his number got passed along to me.  He then went through the series of tests again and it turned out that he had too much protein in his urine and was not a candidate and had to be monitored closely to make sure that he wouldn't G-d forbid have future kidney issues. 

 

We then signed on to a Website called MatchingDonors.com which has profiles of those in need of transplants and those who want to help out, similar to an online dating service site which matches you up with your best matches. So we were on and waiting to be matched up . Along with adding myself to this website, I also placed myself on the Unos list - which is a list of people in need of transplants. Patients are placed in order of blood type and in order of first come ,first serve and when someone dies and is donating organs - they are matched up with people from the list.

 

The next donor was Patrick, a religious Christian man from Chicago who adopted 9 kids of his own and would call daily to check up on me and see how i was feeling and how he could speed up the process to get the operation done as quick as possible. He was certainly a Special Soul sent from the heavens. Pleasant and Caring, Patrick had tried to help out his friend who was in need of a transplant and wasn't a compatible donor so he vowed to help someone else suffering from the same illness. He had gone online and met a friend of ours and got tested and was a good match for us. Our Prayers were answered, we had a donor!!

 

All we needed now was a hospital to have the transplant at. Things were not coming through and we were now having problems with the hospital not setting up any appointments. The Hospitals had a policy that were part of their "ethics" system - they didn't allow donors that weren't family members or close friends and if you lied about who the donor really was to you, they wouldn't ever operate on you. Before a Donor was allowed to donate an organ - they would have to go through a series of physical and psychological tests to make sure they were capable and compatible.  All this did was add unwanted stress and unneeded and unwanted waiting time to something that was so close to working out.

 

In Mid July My mother attended a class at Park Avenue Synagogue in Deal, New Jersey held by Rabbi Raymond Beyda. Due to heavy rain many of the women stayed inside waiting for the rain to pass after the class had finished. My mother, being the friendly ,outgoing person that she is started talking to a couple of single girls that were waiting inside and commented on how she wanted to make a Berachot party and that she had read about its amazing impact in the Heavens that the simple word of AMEN can make. My mother was most amazed by this one girl who pulled out her planner  and said "Okay. I'm not busy -What day Can we make the party "? After calling all the girls and setting up a berachot party to be held at my home organized by Sherryl Betesh, my mom , that Wednesday , a mini chinese auction to help the Israeli families who were hurt and homeless by the wars that were going on at the time was quickly put together as well and the date was set.  The cakes and cookies were being baked and the Beracha Party was under way. An added bonus was the visit of Rebbetzin Ruchama Shain who attended the Berachot party and spoke to the girls and gave a beracha for my speedy recovery.

 

That Shabbat during lunch we heard the phone ring and the machine picked up. The message said, "This is the Montifiore Kidney Transplant Center and You -Frederick Betesh have just won the Lottery!!!  Congratulations , you've won a 1 out of 10 million perfect matching Kidney. Please call us back as soon as possible".  As you can imagine - our hearts dropped and we called back right away and were scheduled to come in for the transplant to be done the next morning. A 24 year old boy from Texas had come in to the hospital and died from a drowning accident  -and after being tested -he was a Perfect match for me. 

 

Now many miracles came along with this particular case. Firstly, the boy had died from a drowning accident thus not damaging his Kidneys in any way. Secondly, the kidney was a 6 antigen match , which is like hitting all 6 numbers in the lottery, and the chances are 1 in 10 million. (Patrick who was willing to donate his kidney was compatible but was only a 3 antigen match - so the fact that the hospitals were delaying the transplant was actually a Big Beracha because now I had the chance at a Perfect match)  Thirdly, There were still 2 people on the transplant list that were ahead of me , one of them was sick and wasn't able to get the transplant and the other one had gotten a transplant the morning before I did , So i was next on the list. Fourthly, I have AB negative blood type which is a rare blood type and that made me skip the 7 year waiting list. Fifthly, the best possible transplant is somebody close to age and gender and i was 22 and the boy was 24 which hit fairly close to home. Another side note was the fact that he was 24 which just enforces the notion that G-d always sends the cure before the disease. Last but not least, My mother heard about a surgeon and wanted him to perform the transplant in a different hospital before we got the call of the winning of the "lottery", we were already set up at Montifiore but the Surgeon my mom wanted worked only out of Columbia. When prompted to fax over all the necessary documents to make the switch -None of the documents were ever received, no matter how many times they were sent.  If they were received and I was switched . I would not have been able to be the recipient of this 6 antigen matching kidney which belonged to Montifiore Hospital. G-d obviously wanted me to stay at Montifiore. 

 

I went in for testing and the surgery was performed the next morning.  It all happened so fast i didn't have time to be afraid - as it says as all things do when G-d sends the yeshua ( salvation) The surgery took place on the Arizal’s yortzeit ( commemoration of his passing) and I was out of the hospital with a new functioning kidney 8 days later. I made my Seudah Hodahh (Feast of Thanks)  on 2 B'Av and was on the road to recovery. 

 

My Mother kept in touch with that Organized girl who helped with the making of that Special Berachot party and they became good friends since that rainy night a while ago. My Mother tried to set her up on shidduchim  and would speak on the phone from time to time. Around May , my mom called up and tried setting that Girl up with a guy she knew and admired . The guy never called and that girl called Sherryl to find out if she should take a date with someone else or wait for the guy she suggested.

 

My mom thought a minute and said, “No, forget all of them - I want you for my son.”

 

The girl then replied, "If he's anything like you - I'll definitely give it a try - I love you...  “

 

We went out in Mid May and were engaged at the end of the summer. I had met my soul-mate and I had won the lottery; G-d had blessed me with a 1 in 10 million match... once again.

 

I wanted to publicly thank G'd for all the miracles that were done for me and my family and I hope my story will bring strength to those in need. G-D loves us all, and although things look bleak sometimes, there's always a plan and we are in good hands.