Young Woman Dies After Donating Kidney To Ailing Uncle

Rehema Kanini, lost her life while trying to save another. Rehema donated her kidney to an uncle who urgently needed one, only to develop complications that led to her demise. Rehema died on August 7th in an Indian hospital after donating a kidney to her ailing uncle, who survived the operation.

Her bother Fadhili maina said when the doctors at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi did a postmortem on Kanini, they found a blood clot that had blocked her main artery to the kidney and suffocated other main organs such as the brain, heart and lungs.

Maina said after the operation, which gave her uncle lifeline, Kanini was transferred from the theater to the recovery room and then the Intensive Care Unit for a closer observation.

“She was overwhelmingly happy that she was able to save her uncle’s life. However, after three days, she complained of chest pains and dizziness. Doctors were called for check up,” Maina said.”

After a few hours, her situation worsened. The doctors tried to resuscitate her, but they failed.

“Her death raptured our hearts,” Maina said.

In mid last year, the uncle was diagnosed with kidney malfunction, a condition which required an urgent transplant.

Family members made a frantic search for a suitable donor to safe his life.

But a compassionate Kanini, a graduate of Daystar University, expressed her willingness to donate her kidney.

Kanini’s father, Jason Kamau had succumbed to a heart failure a year earlier.

“My dad’s loss of life, motivated me to donate life,” Kanini said on her Facebook page.

Between May and June this year, many compatibility tests were done on Kanini and her uncle and they were found matching.

“When she found out they were a match, she shed tears of joy. She was happy that she could save our uncle after our father succumbed to organ failure,” Maina said.

In late July 13, Kanini, her ailing uncle and a cousin flew to Indian, where they spent about two weeks before the scheduled operation.

“If only we treated others like we would want to be treated, the world would be a happier place,” she posted on her Facebook on July 26.

At the hospital, and with doctors giving her a clean bill of health and compatibility assurance, Kanini was wheeled to the operating room for the operation on August 3.

The procedure medically known as laparoscopic surgery went successful, according to the doctors, Maina said. Kanini will be laid to rest today at in their home in Ihiga village, Muran’ga county.

Her uncles is still recuperating in the India hospital and is expected back soon. Statistically, kidney donor surgery is considered to be very safe.

The Star Kenya