Continents apart‚ a South African expat living in Canada and the former classmate she hasn’t seen in decades were speechless when they discovered that they are a match for a kidney transplant.
Jill Hamilton has offered her kidney to save the life of Di Wilkinson‚ who was in her class at Queen Elizabeth High School in Harare.
The women‚ both in their fifties‚ reconnected when Hamilton discovered via a post on their old high school’s Facebook page that Wilkinson‚ an end stage renal patient living in Johannesburg‚ needed a kidney transplant.
Also read: Lunga takes to Twitter to find a new kidney
Wilkinson’s daughter‚ Legh‚ said the family was “overwhelmed‚ emotional and grateful“.
“Jill and my mom match on paper‚ we need to confirm this by mixing their bloods and confirming no reactions. This requires delivering a vial of blood from Vancouver to South Africa‚ which is the next step. My mom has had blood transfusions since the last time she gave blood for matching. This could potentially complicate things‚” she said.
Hamilton offered her kidney because it was the “right thing to do“.
“I am relatively healthy. I have two functioning kidneys and I am an O-type blood group like Di. I am already a blood donor and registered organ donor. It just seemed such an obvious‚ right thing to do. I guess I had one of those moments in life when you just know how you are supposed to act‚” Hamilton said.
Hamilton‚ who moved to Canada about eight years ago‚ worked as a pharmacist assistant contracted to the Canadian government’s renal programme. She now works for a company that specialises in life-saving products for cardiac arrest and other medical emergencies.
On their Facebook page‚ created to shed light on the living donation process‚ the pair said their families were supportive.
Legh said her family had waited for three years for a match.
“Three years we have fought for it. We refused to accept that my mom was not going to make it‚” she said.
South Africa’s Organ Donor Foundation spokesman Jooste Vermeulen said it was not common for a friend to donate a kidney.
“But it does happen.
“The requirements for a friend to be able to donate a kidney is a lot more stringent as it is for a direct family member. There are a lot of social tests that need to be done that will follow the protocol.
“Obviously there are the medical tests for compatibility. And if it is compatible then they would have to test on a social level. Psychologists and social workers would get involved to discuss whether this person really wants to do this. These tests are precautionary and really protect both the donor and the recipient‚” he said.
Donating a kidney to a friend is legal in South Africa pending the approval of the Department of Health’s ministerial committee.
The Organ Donor Foundation said an organ cannot be donated in exchange for payment or if the donor and recipient are complete strangers.
- TMG Digital/Durban Bureau
Old school friend offers a kidney to save the life of Johannesburg mother
Continents apart‚ a South African expat living in Canada and the former classmate she hasn’t seen in decades were speechless when they discovered that they are a match for a kidney transplant.
Jill Hamilton has offered her kidney to save the life of Di Wilkinson‚ who was in her class at Queen Elizabeth High School in Harare.
The women‚ both in their fifties‚ reconnected when Hamilton discovered via a post on their old high school’s Facebook page that Wilkinson‚ an end stage renal patient living in Johannesburg‚ needed a kidney transplant.
Also read: Lunga takes to Twitter to find a new kidney
Wilkinson’s daughter‚ Legh‚ said the family was “overwhelmed‚ emotional and grateful“.
“Jill and my mom match on paper‚ we need to confirm this by mixing their bloods and confirming no reactions. This requires delivering a vial of blood from Vancouver to South Africa‚ which is the next step. My mom has had blood transfusions since the last time she gave blood for matching. This could potentially complicate things‚” she said.
Hamilton offered her kidney because it was the “right thing to do“.
“I am relatively healthy. I have two functioning kidneys and I am an O-type blood group like Di. I am already a blood donor and registered organ donor. It just seemed such an obvious‚ right thing to do. I guess I had one of those moments in life when you just know how you are supposed to act‚” Hamilton said.
Hamilton‚ who moved to Canada about eight years ago‚ worked as a pharmacist assistant contracted to the Canadian government’s renal programme. She now works for a company that specialises in life-saving products for cardiac arrest and other medical emergencies.
On their Facebook page‚ created to shed light on the living donation process‚ the pair said their families were supportive.
Legh said her family had waited for three years for a match.
“Three years we have fought for it. We refused to accept that my mom was not going to make it‚” she said.
South Africa’s Organ Donor Foundation spokesman Jooste Vermeulen said it was not common for a friend to donate a kidney.
“But it does happen.
“The requirements for a friend to be able to donate a kidney is a lot more stringent as it is for a direct family member. There are a lot of social tests that need to be done that will follow the protocol.
“Obviously there are the medical tests for compatibility. And if it is compatible then they would have to test on a social level. Psychologists and social workers would get involved to discuss whether this person really wants to do this. These tests are precautionary and really protect both the donor and the recipient‚” he said.
Donating a kidney to a friend is legal in South Africa pending the approval of the Department of Health’s ministerial committee.
The Organ Donor Foundation said an organ cannot be donated in exchange for payment or if the donor and recipient are complete strangers.
- TMG Digital/Durban Bureau
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