A British rabbi named Leo Dee, who selflessly donated his late wife’s heart following her tragic death at the hands of Hamas gunmen, recently remarried in a ceremony attended by family and friends. The recipient of his wife’s heart, Lital Vilensa, was initially invited to the wedding but ultimately decided not to attend at the last moment due to emotional reasons.
Leo’s wife, Lucy, a school teacher, and their two daughters, Maia and Rina, were tragically killed while on vacation in 2023. Over two years later, Leo found love again and hoped that Lital, who received his late wife’s heart in a transplant, would be present at the wedding.
The wedding between Leo and his new bride, Aliza, took place in Israel. Despite expressing his willingness for Lital to attend, she ultimately declined, feeling it might not be appropriate for the heart of Leo’s first wife to be there at his second marriage.
Leo shared that he would have welcomed Lital and a piece of his late wife, Lucy, to be part of the celebration. Reflecting on his journey from grief to joy, Leo acknowledged Lital’s decision and expressed understanding towards her emotions.
During the ceremony, there were poignant moments where Leo’s daughters acknowledged their late mother’s presence and blessings on the union. Leo, from Radlett, Herts, emphasized the importance of moving forward in life after facing tragedy and finding joy in new beginnings.
The perpetrators of the tragic attack were later killed by Israeli forces. Leo, on the anniversary of the murders, visited all five recipients of his late wife’s organs, including attending the wedding of a liver recipient who had recovered. The lung recipient, a former football player, shared her gratitude for the chance to dance again.
Leo affirmed that his late wife would have approved of his new marriage, emphasizing the need to look towards the future and find meaning in life even amidst difficult circumstances. He is currently working on a book focusing on coping with disasters and tragedies in life.