Young wife and mother Reena Sultan who had been suffering from end-stage kidney disease says she has a new lease on life now that she has had a kidney transplant.
It was paid for through the generosity of various organizations and individuals.
In an interview with Stabroek News yesterday she said the fight had not been easy but gratitude was the sentiment uppermost in her mind. Getting her life back on track and taking care of her husband and son was her goal now, although she could not tax herself too much.
Reena Sultan and her husband Fazil returned to Guyana on April 12 after almost four months spent in India, where she underwent a kidney transplant at the Colombia Asia Hospital in Bangalore India.
Expressing joy at seeing their son again after four months, Fazil also jokingly conveyed his relief at not having to cook any more.
The couple said that their initial budget of US$15,000 was exceeded, since the actual cost of the surgery and spending four months in India came to about US$26,000, with rent taking up a lot of their finances. Renting one small apartment cost them US$1,000 per month.
Reena’s health problems started several years ago when she collapsed one morning at home. She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital and was diagnosed with a “kidney problem.” Reena’s entire life changed from that day on. She was advised to join a clinic where a specific diagnosis was subsequently made: Reena had end stage renal disease – her kidneys had failed permanently.
The desperate fight to stay alive then began, and her condition deteriorated to the point where she could hardly walk and began to suffer from selective amnesia. She was dependent on dialysis treatment twice weekly which at that time cost US$200 per treatment.
Her husband at this point had quit his job to take care of her at home and had literally taken to the streets to ask for the funds for the kidney transplant Reena so desperately needed. It was hard work and many times he was met with insults and a ‘don’t care’ attitude, but the sum was slowly and painfully accumulated and the couple, along with Reena’s brother who was to donate his kidney, left for India on December 18, 2007.
There more trials awaited them.
When undergoing preliminary checks it was discovered that Reena’s brother Ryan could not be the donor since he had a “leaky valve” in his heart. Her other brother Devaraymond Kissoon then had to fly to India to donate his kidney instead – an additional expense on the already strained budget.
However, after 29 dialyses the surgery was finally performed.
Reena has to return to India in October for the standard check-up, but she said she was not sure if she would be able to go on account of the cost. She was hoping, she said, that God would smile down on her once again. She planned to go back to work after her six months convalescent period was up, but for now she was happy to do little things for herself, husband and child. In the meantime, she said, her in-laws were trying their best to make things easier for her.
After going through all of the difficulties the couple wishes to advise other persons who may have to venture down this path to have their preliminary checks done here to ensure their donor was healthy, since it was more expensive to have this done abroad.
The couple said that this experience had given them a new appreciation for life and each other. And they were extremely grateful for the support of all of those who had contributed to their cause. Fazil expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Mr and Mrs Gafoor, CIOG, Tony Yassin of Guyana Watch, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance and all the other organizations and individuals, who whatever the size of their donation had contributed to Reena being alive today.
