Six get new lease of life

PETALING JAYA: Six patients on long term dialysis who are on the national waiting list were given a new lease of life when they became recipients of kidneys.
In disclosing this to theSun, Kuala Lumpur General Hospital (KLGH) nephrology head department Datuk Dr Ghazali Ahmad said the donors were an Australian, Shelley Elizabeth Mahoney, and the rest Malaysians – two from Klang, one from Kota Baru and another from KLGH.
The six patients, among 18,000 on the national waiting list for organ transplant, underwent kidney transplants within the last few days.
Ghazali said two kidneys were from Mahoney, following her family's decision to withdraw her life support after having sustained irreversible brain injuries in a boating accident on June 30.
Another donor was a Malay police officer from Kota Baru who had been certified brain dead earlier due to an infection which damaged his brain.
"By 5.30am, two kidneys were retrieved from him and by daylight, the kidneys were making their way to KLGH for transplant. The team of surgeons, nephrologists (and) transplant coordinators were literally parked (at the) hospital.
Giving the thumbs-up to the entire team and all those who coordinated the transplants, Ghazali said: "These officers gave their best at odd and challenging hours, doing things beyond their normal call of duty like an ER (emergency) team handling a crisis situation during public disasters."
"The only difference is the fact that patients were coming to the hospital with high hopes and anticipation of getting the organs. They were hopeful of permanent relief from the lifelong dialysis procedure.
He concluded that such courageous acts are needed as there are still plenty of patients in need of organs.
"While the country is still reeling in shock in the aftermath of the MH17 incident, when hopes are dashed and despair fills the air, the selfless sacrifice by the grieving family of five individuals … (the donors) were magnanimous in their intention and acts, for they gave rise to new hopes for a better life to the six patients who benefitted from the donated kidneys," said Ghazali.