Gift of Life

On Episode 132 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, BJ Odom meets Ben Zion Cohen, father of young Lavi Rafael, whose extraordinary journey has taken his family from Israel to Miami, Florida, in a fight to save their son’s life.

Lavi was born in Israel with a devastating intestinal condition. Just days after his birth, he underwent the first of numerous surgeries and was eventually left without a functioning digestive system. His survival depended on intravenous nutrition — and ultimately, doctors determined that his best hope was an incredibly rare multi-organ transplant.

The Cohen family made the life-changing decision to leave their home, family and community in Israel and relocate to Miami so Lavi could receive the specialized care he desperately needed.

After approximately three years on the United States transplant waiting list, the call they had been praying for finally came.

On June 13, 2025, Lavi underwent an extraordinary five-organ transplant at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

He received a:

• Small intestine
• Large intestine
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Stomach

It was one of the most complex transplant procedures imaginable.

But receiving those five precious gifts was not the end of Lavi’s fight.

His recovery has been long and difficult, requiring extensive hospitalization, medical treatment and rehabilitation as his family continues to stand beside him every step of the way.

Ben openly shares that English is his second language. He and his family came from Israel to the United States for one reason — to give their little boy a chance to live.

In this emotional conversation, you’ll hear a father’s perspective on watching his child endure more than most people experience in a lifetime, the decision to leave everything familiar behind, the agonizing wait for donor organs, and what it means to finally receive the gift that could save your child’s life.

Behind Lavi’s five transplanted organs is also the incredible generosity of organ donation — gifts that gave one little boy and his family something priceless:

Hope.

Lavi’s story isn’t finished. His family is still fighting alongside him.

This is a story about transplantation, family, sacrifice, faith, and a little boy who continues to fight for his future.

This is one episode you won’t want to miss.

Let’s Stay Connected

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s Book

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget

A story of survival, second chances, and the family that held it all together.

Grab your copy today on Amazon in paperback or eBook!

Help Us Spread the Message

If Lavi’s story touches your heart, please help us spread the message.

Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

Share this episode with your family and friends.

Every donor can change a life. Every donor family creates a legacy. And every transplant story reminds us why the Gift of Life matters.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

On Episode 131 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, BJ Odom welcomes Jay Waddell, whose life changed dramatically after suffering two mini-strokes followed by a major stroke. The damage ultimately affected his heart and led to something he never expected — the need for a heart transplant.

Jay had always enjoyed journaling and documenting life. When he learned he needed a new heart, he began searching for information about heart transplantation and connecting with others who had traveled similar roads.

Those connections introduced Jay to incredible stories of survival, courage, gratitude, and second chances. He eventually brought those stories together in his book, “Voices From the Heart: A Collection of Inspiring Heart Transplant Stories,” available on Amazon.

In this episode, Jay shares his own journey from strokes and heart damage to transplantation, what he learned from others in the transplant community, and how those experiences inspired him to preserve and share their stories in a book.

It’s another powerful reminder that behind every transplant is a story — and every story has a voice worth hearing.

Let’s Stay Connected

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s Book

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget — A story of survival, second chances, and the family that held it all together.

Grab your copy today on Amazon in paperback or eBook.

Help Us Spread the Message

If this episode touched your heart:

Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

Share this episode with family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors and donor families, and celebrating the incredible gift of new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

On Episode 129 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Michael Ungar, a living kidney donor whose journey toward donation began in a place he never expected.

As a rabbi, Michael was simply doing his job while visiting and supporting people at a local hospital. But those experiences planted a spark—one that continued to grow until, in 2021, Michael found himself becoming a living kidney donor.

Michael takes us through his journey from beginning to end: what inspired him to consider living donation, the process of becoming a donor, the surgery itself, his recovery, and what life has been like since giving someone else the gift of a healthier life.

Michael says it can be difficult to hear himself called a hero.

But those of us in the transplant community understand just how extraordinary living donors truly are. They willingly undergo surgery and recovery so another person can have a second chance at life.

Hear Michael Ungar’s inspiring story and discover how one small spark of compassion eventually became the Gift of Life.

In this episode:

● How Michael’s work as a rabbi introduced him to the transplant world

● The moment living kidney donation became personal

● His decision to become a donor in 2021

● Preparing for living-donor surgery

● Michael’s recovery and life after donation

● Why he has a hard time considering himself a hero

● The incredible impact living donors have on recipients, families, and the transplant community

Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast shares the stories of transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, caregivers, and others whose lives have been touched by organ donation.

Episode 129 — Michael Ungar: Living Kidney Donor

Please listen, subscribe, and share Michael’s story. One story can educate someone about living donation—and perhaps inspire the next gift of life.

In 2016, Katherine Mismas learned that something wasn’t right with her kidneys. Eventually, she received the news that a kidney transplant would be in her future.

Today, Kathy’s story is still being written.

She is searching for a living kidney donor — someone who could give her the chance to avoid spending the rest of her life on dialysis and begin a new chapter with a healthy kidney.

In Episode 129 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, Kathy shares her journey with BJ Odom — from first learning about her kidney problems to where she is today and her hope of finding that special person willing to consider living kidney donation.

More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ transplant, and behind every number is a person, a family, and a story. Kathy is one of those people.

Could you be the person who helps Kathy find her kidney?

To learn more, search Facebook for “Let’s Get Kathy a Kidney.”

Those interested in learning about living kidney donation for Kathy can also contact HCA Florida Largo Hospital at

727-588-5837 and use her legal name, Katherine Mismas, when calling.

Even if you cannot be a donor, you can help by sharing Kathy’s story. The right person may be only one share away.

Hear Kathy’s story on Episode 129 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast and share it with others.

Let’s Stay Connected

Email: giftoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Facebook: Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast

Listen and share on your favorite podcast platform.

BJ Odom’s Book

More Parts Than A Chicken Nugget — a story of survival, second chances, and the family that held it all together.

Grab your copy today on Amazon, available in paperback and eBook.

Help Us Spread the Message

If this episode touched your heart, please help us spread the message.

Subscribe and leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with your family and friends.

Together, we’re raising awareness, honoring donors, supporting those still waiting, and celebrating the gift of new beginnings.

Thank you for being part of our life-giving community.

In Episode 128 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Jessica Clark, whose journey is a remarkable story of resilience, gratitude, and finding hope even when life takes unexpected turns.

Jessica was diagnosed with liver disease at a young age, but like many transplant patients, she was able to live for years before her condition progressed to the point that she needed a liver transplant. Along the way, she experienced the heartbreaking loss of her mother, who also battled liver disease—a loss that would shape her own journey in profound ways.

In June of 2023, Jessica received the life-saving gift of a liver transplant. While the thought of transplant surgery can be overwhelming, Jessica shares that the experience was easier than she ever imagined, giving her a renewed chance at life.

But just when it seemed the hardest part was behind her, another unimaginable challenge appeared.

In April of 2024, following what was expected to be a routine medical procedure, Jessica developed severe sepsis. The infection became life-threatening and ultimately resulted in the loss of both of her legs.

Many people would struggle to find hope after facing so much adversity, but Jessica refuses to let her circumstances define her. She remains incredibly grateful for her liver transplant, forever thankful to her donor and donor family, and continues to embrace each day surrounded by the love and support of her own family.

This episode is a powerful reminder that while transplant can save a life, the journey doesn’t always end there. Jessica’s courage, determination, and positive outlook will inspire anyone facing life’s unexpected challenges.

In This Episode

Jessica’s early diagnosis with liver disease

Losing her mother to the same illness

Receiving her life-saving liver transplant in June 2023

Why the transplant surgery was easier than she expected

The devastating sepsis that followed a routine procedure

Learning to live after losing both legs

The importance of family, faith, and perseverance

Her gratitude for organ donation and her donor family

Finding purpose and hope one day at a time

Please Help Spread the Gift of Life

If Jessica’s story inspires you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your family and friends. Every shared story helps raise awareness about the life-saving impact of organ donation and gives hope to those waiting for their own second chance at life.

Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.