Tragedy as Israel’s youngest corona victim, 33, succumbs

Cancer survivor and father of young boy becomes Israel’s youngest victim of disease.

By World Israel News Staff

Avishalom Rosilio, a resident of Migdal HaEmek, passed away overnight on Tuesday. At 33, he was Israel’s youngest victim of the coronavirus.

His death was doubly tragic as he survived cancer and less than a year ago celebrated the birth of his first child.

He had been in remission from cancer for 13 years already. But he needed help breathing, putting him in one of the most at-risk populations for coronavirus.

Rosilio leaves behind his wife of three-and-a-half years, Lihi, 23, and a baby boy, 11-month-old Raphael Nachman.

Rosilio met his wife at Sheba Hospital, where she was also undergoing treatment for cancer. They met on a hike for cancer survivors.

It appeared he would recover. After a period of being unconscious, he woke up.

“We almost celebrated his recovery. Three negative test results for corona came back,” Lihi said in tears Tuesday, Ynet reports.

“He defeated the cancer and the corona but died as a result of the complications of lung disease he was dealing with. A month ago we spoke for the last time, he was optimistic,” she said.

He contracted the disease after a family get-together. Eight of his family members learned they were sick with corona. They went into isolation at home. Rosilio, given his preexisting condition, was immediately hospitalized.

Rosilio served in the elite Golani Brigade before coming down with cancer.