His Memory Lives On

Carmit Biel with her twins

Rafael and Carmit Biel wanted nothing more than to have a child. But this goal eluded them until Prof. Benny Fisch, Director of the IVF Unit at Rabin Medical Center, started them on a course of In-Vitro Fertilization. But just as signs of fertilization were on the horizon, Rafael passed away from a recently diagnosed cancer.

Only days after dealing with the tragic loss of her husband, Carmit Biel had to make the difficult decision of whether or not to continue with the In- Vitro Fertilization treatment that she had been undergoing with her late husband Rafael over the past three years. Her physician, Prof. Benny Fisch, was in close contact with Carmit and was aware of her conflict. He tried to be as supportive as possible yet knew that only Camit could make this decision. In the end, she decided to continue. And as fate would have it, on what would have been her sixth wedding anniversary, she got the news that she was pregnant with twins. But her joy was mixed with sorrow. Carmit said, "I could have been the happiest woman in the world if my husband had been by my side. But I know this is what Rafael would have wanted. From the moment we were married, we had dreamed about having kids. I couldn't give him this gift during his lifetime, but his memory lives on in these two beautiful children."

During the pregnancy, she often went to her husband's grave, filled with feelings of hope. There have been moments of grief and sadness, but the twins now fill her life with joy and tremendous happiness. Carmit said, "the twins look like their father. And when they are old enough I plan to tell them everything." She is forever grateful to Prof. Fisch and his staff for their overwhelming support and for this gift of life. She now encourages other women not to give up hope. Her strength and courage are surely an inspiration for others.

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