"Ofek, don't you see the traffic light?"
It all began in February 2022. Ofek Levi, then a 17-year-old in the middle of his driving lessons, felt something strange happening in his right eye. Three months later, in May 2022, the darkness spread to his left eye. What started as a blur during a driving lesson and a struggle to read a cafe menu transformed within weeks into near-total blindness in both eyes.
After an extensive series of tests at the Neuro-Ophthalmology Center at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, the bitter news arrived: Ofek was diagnosed with LHON (Mutation 11778). It is a rare and aggressive genetic disease that causes rapid blindness. Ofek was officially classified as legally blind (with visual acuity of 0.01 in the left eye and 0.08 in the right). The standard treatment, Idebenone, failed, and the light in Ofek's eyes continued to fade.
In contrast to the medical darkness, science offers a glimmer of hope: a breakthrough genetic treatment called Lumevoq. This intraocular injection has been proven in international clinical trials (REVEAL, REFLECT) to have the potential to significantly improve vision, even years after diagnosis. The specialists at Hadassah Hospital, led by Prof. Itay Chowers and Dr. Joshua Kruger, have ruled unequivocally: the treatment is medically justified and could save Ofek's sight.
Ofek’s struggle is not just medical; it is bureaucratic and financial:
Ministry of Health: Recognized the severity of the situation and granted Ofek approval for the treatment under "Compassionate Use" (December 2025).
Phoenix Insurance Agency: Despite a comprehensive health policy, the company rejected the appeal (December 2025) on a technicality - claiming the drug has not yet received final regulatory approval from the FDA or EMA, even though it is recognized as an "Orphan Drug."
The Price: €750,000. An astronomical sum that an average family simply cannot raise alone.
The most incredible part of Ofek’s story is his spirit. At the height of the war, as his friends enlisted, Ofek refused to be left behind. Despite his blindness, and despite his medical and financial battles, he insisted on volunteering for the IDF. Ofek serves and contributes to the country whose flag he cannot see, but feels with all his heart.
Ofek is in a race against time. As the days pass, the chances of rehabilitating the optic nerve diminish. We are turning to you - the public, donors, the people reading this story: Ofek fights for us, now it is our turn to fight for him.
The amount required is immense, but together, we can restore this young man's sight. We hope that in the future, when Ofek puts on his uniform again, he will finally be able to see the people he protects.
Help us bring the light back to Ofek.
