Inspired By Friends and Six Cousins, Another Shliach Donates Kidney Through Renewal

Yossi Swued, 27, is a Chabad Shliach at Western University in London, Ontario, and the father of two young children. He was inspired to become a kidney donor after seeing friends and six cousins do the same.

“It is a big zchus to be able to give a new lease on life to another,” Yossi said. “I am very thankful to Hashem for giving me this opportunity, and especially grateful to my wife for her support during this process.”

He is donating to Ronit, a single parent to a young daughter, who was only 15 when her mother was diagnosed with kidney failure. She says: “I feel extremely fortunate to have heard about Renewal. Their support kept me going and gave me hope that one day I would find my kidney match. I felt that I was not alone – there was help on the way and that dialysis was not a horrible life sentence for me. I will never forget when I got the call that a kidney donor had been found; my daughter and I cried together, overwhelmed with emotion. In May, I met the amazing Renewal team, whose kindness and dedication made what once felt impossible a reality. Words are not enough to express how grateful I am.”