Engaged after shedding 135 kg: 'We didn't just fall in love with the body that changed'
About a year ago, two strangers lay in adjacent operating rooms at the hospital, unaware that they would become the love of each other's lives. Exactly one year later, he knelt down and she said yes. 'I once thought the surgery would save my health; today I know it gave me a new life, and within it, the person with whom I will build a family.'
About a year ago, Kiner Ofek (35) and Shay Nachmani (39) arrived to undergo bariatric surgery with Dr. Ilanit Maler to improve their health, self-confidence, and quality of life. Shay’s surgery was postponed at the last minute, leading them to be operated on one after the other. They had no idea that the person lying just behind the wall would become the love of their lives.
A few weeks later, both joined the 'Day After' workshop at the Yarden Clinic, a support program for post-bariatric patients. Soon after, the war broke out, meetings moved to Zoom, and participants were divided into small breakout rooms. Time and again, they found themselves in the same group. Shay decided to reach out to Kiner, and what began as conversations about weight loss and life after surgery quickly turned into a deep connection. Both felt they had found someone who truly understood the fears and challenges of their journey.
By late February, they had moved in together. The very next day, they found themselves navigating the reality of sirens and spending time in a protected room (MAMAD). 'Most couples test their relationship for months,' they joke. 'We got an accelerated course.' On April 10th, Kiner returned home to find a path of candles and flowers leading to Shay, who knelt and proposed—exactly one year after they had been strangers on adjacent hospital beds. They are set to marry this October.
'The surgery opened a door for us to a new life.' Since then, they have shed about 135 kilograms combined, but for them, the number is only a small part of the story. 'We met precisely when each of us was learning to take care of ourselves again,' they say. 'We didn't just fall in love with the body that changed, but with the people we became. The fact that we went through the same process created an understanding that is hard to explain; we didn't have to explain the fears or the moments of success.'
Their story is unusual, but studies show that the impact of bariatric surgery goes beyond weight loss. A study published in JAMA Surgery found that people who were single at the time of surgery were more likely to enter into relationships or marry in the following years. Researchers explain that improved health and self-confidence allow individuals to be more open to personal connections.
Dr. Ilanit Maler, founder of the Yarden Clinic, notes: 'Bariatric patients must invest in a change of consciousness to enjoy long-term results. Weight loss is a complex process of removing physical and mental barriers, allowing us to reconnect with ourselves and others. Shay and Kiner understood this from the start.'
'I once thought the surgery would save my health,' Kiner concludes. 'Today I know it gave me a new life. And within it, the person with whom I will build a family.'
