Wednesday, April 20, 2011

man with one kidney

i've had many patients who've undergone a nephrectomy (surgical removal of a diseased kidney), so it's not a big deal to meet yet another. but Mr K is special. and very unique in these modern times.

he has the courage to undergo the removal of a NORMAL kidney to donate to his younger brother who had 2 damaged kidneys from poorly-controlled diabetes & hypertension. the brother had previously required haemodialysis but since the transplant 15 years ago, has been leading a largely normal life, thanks to Mr K.

his family may have said he did it out of love.

youths of today may call this act "cool" or "awesome." (i often wonder if their vocabulary of adjectives is limited to just these words!)

i can only think of  one word. selfless.

we ourselves don't know if we are able to commit to this sort of sacrifice but we can always start small. like making regular blood donations. or, register with the Malaysian Society of Transplantation to pledge our organs. (download form here: http://www.mst.org.my/donorform.htm)

and, it's so appropriate that i met Mr K this easter week, his unselfish act reflected in Christ's ultimate sacrifice - His crucifixtion & resurrection.
this is what the apostle John wrote about love:

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters .1 John 3:16


Blessed easter!

10 comments:

Reanaclaire said...

Unconditional Love.. Agape Love..

doc said...

Claire,

true love。

Unicorn Girl said...

Mr K is one of a kind ! A rare gem to find.
Blessed Easter to you too Doc !

doc said...

UG,

may you be a rare gem to your loved ones as well.

blessed easter!

[SK] said...

that is the love bond without condition.. even as closed family members, many may still not be able to do this.. and i totally salute Mr K for his selfless deed, noble.. :)

Yvonne Foong said...

I've registered to donate my organs upon my demise, but I don't know if I'm a good candidate for blood donation. Will I suffer from anemia? :P I should ask the doctors next week.

doc said...

SK,

in contrast, there are families who will fight tooth & nail against each other.

what a difference!

doc said...

Yvonne,

you can donate your organs, according to these links:

http://www.nfaa.org.au/living_living_with_NF.htm

http://www.ctf.org/pdf/brochures/Living_with_NF1_A_Guide_for_Adults.pdf

Woodpecker said...

maybe it's just me, but i didn't find this surprising at all. i'd give my kidney to my brother without thinking if this could save his life.
i admit, other family members i'd think about, but my brother never.

doc said...

Woodpecker,

i'm sure if you truly love a person, you'd sacrifice to save life. your brother is blessed to have you as a sibling.

do your bit for the community at large & donate blood or pledge your organs.