Avocado Growing Woes: Need Advice!

[Fyiiatb]

I sprouted two avocados, and they started growing nicely, but they were single stems with large leaves. I came up with the idea to thicken the trees, so I cut not only the height but also all the leaves. At first, nothing happened, but after some time, I noticed new stems growing from the nodes. I thought it was going well, but then they started drying up one after another, and the tip of the stem also dried up. They were in the soil, but now I've moved them to water, thinking they would revive, but it's even worse. Is there still a chance for them, or is it too late? Thanks for any advice.