West Africa – A 59 year old Brooklyn man who was in West Africa on business died this past Shabbos following a minor car accident that took place on Thursday deep in the heart of the Kenema District’s mining country located in Sierra Leone.
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Avraham Levy of Kensington, who was in the tile and granite business, had been in Africa on business for several weeks and was hospitalized for observation after the accident. He died due to complications from diabetes, after the remote makeshift hospital to which he was taken was unable to provide him with insulin.
Levy’s family found out about the accident when Levy’s rabbi attempted to contact him by phone on Friday. Levy’s phone was answered by someone who told the rabbi that Levy was in the hospital and not doing well.
Mrs. Levy confirmed that she contacted Oxford insurance company to arrange for a Medi-Vac transport to a higher level medical facility, explaining that her husband was a diabetic, had proper coverage and that she had already located a carrier willing to transport her husband. According to Mrs. Levy, Oxford insisted that the transfer had to wait until after the weekend.
Chesed Shel Emes was notified of Levy’s death on Motzei Shabbos and was able to prevent an autopsy and embalmment, both normally done before a body can be flown out of the country.
After learning of Levy’s death on Motzei Shabbos, the family contacted Chesed Shel Emes who activated connections within the Department of State and Dept of Foreign Affairs in order to prevent an autopsy from being performed. The State Department was contacted yet again when complications arose with local officials during the six hour car ride to the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown from the remote area where the hospital was located.
Levy’s body is currently en route to Brussels from Freetown International Airport where a connecting flight to Israel for burial will be arranged.
Zvi Gluck, director of Government Relations for Chesed Shel Emes, credits several people for helping get the body out of Sierra Leone in less than forty eight hours, including Miss Anne Marie of the American Embassy in Sierra Leone, who worked tirelessly with Chesed Shel Emes to expedite matters, Sam Westreich of Belgium, who was in the area and ensured that all the proper documentation was filled out, served as a shomer for the niftar and accompanied the body from the Kenema district to the Freetown airport, ZAKA and Menashe Kirsh of Crown Heights, who having had a similar experience in Sierra Leone, served as both a point of contact and a translator.
“It was literally nissim v’niflaos that we were able to prevent the autopsy and get the body out of there so quickly,” said Gluck in an interview with VIN News.
Passports for the Levy family were arranged by Chesed Shel Emes in order for them to be able to fly to Eretz Yisroel for the burial.
Did the minor car accident trigger his diabetic problems? People with food allergies always carry anaphylaxis shots cause they know without it, it could kill them fast. People with serious diabetes should carry insulin supply with them, especially when they travel to countries with poor medical care. I hope the family will successfully sue Oxford insurance for their slow response to the situation.
B”DE
Nebech, people with diabetes are in grave danger when travelling to such remote places on earth without proper medical care.
What a sad besura!
I worked with Avraham Levy a number of times, starting when he was just beginning on his own.
On one ride with him to a granite yard he told me his family story. He was a Yemenite from a very, very frum home who emigrated as a child to Eretz Yisroel along with his large family. Upon arriving, his parents were derided for their strict adherence to Yiddishkeit, and with great anguish they watched their children stray.
Avraham did the same.
But at some point (I don’t recall when that was) Avraham decided to return to his roots. He fought to have his children in the best Yeshivos and Bais Yakovs here in New York.
He spoke very proudly of his heritage and for a long time insisted on wearing only the colorful kippa worn by the Yemenites.
His business b”h flourished, but Avraham did not change.
How tragic!!
BD”E.
the “nissim v’niflaos” would have been more useful if they would have been directed at getting him to a hospital where he could have been saved. preventing his autopsy is small consolation to his family and friends.
Somthing doesn’t make sense. Anyone who is a known diabetic always carries insulin with them or has confirmed that they will have access in whatever area they travel. However, even if he failed to take this common sense precaution, why would the family haggle with the insurance company on coverage for the cost of medical evacuation if they knew he was at risk. Pay up front and deal with the insurance company later for reimbursement. This story doesn’t make sense and there is more information that we don’t know.
Reading this, I’d say that right now is a good time for every American to take a moment to kiss the ground and thank G-d for allowing us to be lucky enough to win the lottery, which is another way of saying, to be an American citizen.
Was he related to Eitan Levi of Yemenite descent being a tile layer at some point ?
reply to #5
Insurance companies like Oxford provide overseas contacts to service evacs and help coordinate care when an emergency strikes overseas.I have no doubt that it was not dickering over $ that prevented the evac.Hopefully there is an acceptable explanation for their delay.
BDE
I knew him well , a real hustler and overall very nice guy.
he had the best granite shop in brooklyn and his wife and kids were very involved in the business , and they really respected him.
wishing them all the best..
He and his family are well known to people who have bought tiles/granite in Brooklyn. Very nice man. BDE
Sometimes it’s better to pay upfront and get the money back later.
nebach! poor guy. BDE
Baruch Dayin Emes. Such a nice man. B’suros Tovos.
A memorial page has been set up at http://www.avrahamlevy.org