Kibbutz Teen Fights Duchenne as Family Crowdfunds US Treatments
Fourteen-year-old Amor from Kibbutz Beit Keshet is battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His family is fundraising for experimental stem cell treatments in the US, aided by family friend Shahaf Kutner.
Amor, a 14-year-old resident of Kibbutz Beit Keshet, is battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a severe and incurable genetic muscle-wasting disease. Within just a few years, he transitioned from a child who ran, played football, and hiked to a teenager who uses a wheelchair and depends on his surroundings for almost every daily action. His family is currently crowdfunding to continue experimental stem cell treatments in the United States.
Shahaf Kutner, a neighbor and family friend who has known Amor since childhood, has been accompanying Amor and his mother, Michaela. "I used to babysit him and play football with him," Shahaf shares. "After the diagnosis, he started falling frequently, and his muscles deteriorated very quickly. Today, he is in a wheelchair and can barely move his body."
Last week, Shahaf joined Amor and his mother on a trip to Philadelphia, where Amor underwent another treatment. Between medical appointments, Shahaf took on another mission: helping Amor fulfill one of his greatest passions—amusement parks. "Amor loves theme parks. I lifted him out of his wheelchair and put him on the ride with me. We went to several parks because it is one of his biggest passions," Shahaf recounts.
According to Shahaf, Amor stated after the treatment that he feels better, and the family pins great hopes on the process. "His dream is to walk," Shahaf says. "We are full of hope." Michaela, Amor's mother, noted that her son has already undergone four experimental treatments in the US, and the family is striving to raise funds to ensure continuous medical care.
Shahaf stepped into the family's journey almost by chance. "I had just finished army service, returned from a trip to South America, and saw that Michaela was looking for help. I just jumped at the opportunity," he explains. He now assists the family and helps promote their fundraising campaign. "The treatments are very expensive, and Michaela struggles to raise these sums. I am trying to help them reach as many people as possible."
The family currently needs another 100,000 shekels for the upcoming treatment scheduled in America next month.
