Benoni Northerns Rugby Club’s Jesse Bekker’s heroic actions extend beyond the field of play.
The flanker is donating one of his kidneys to his sister, Toni-Lee.
Jesse has watched Toni-Lee suffer since she was diagnosed with lupus – an autoimmune disease where inflammation can affect different body parts including kidneys, skin and joints – at the age of 13.
In South Africa when a person is in need of an organ transplant, finding a donor can be a long and arduous process that involves hope, patience and endless tests to find a perfect match.
Luckily for Toni-Lee, she won’t be on any waiting list thanks to Jesse who wants to end her suffering because he would rather enjoy his life with his sister than without.
A warrior on the field, Jesse is a typical flanker. He plays with heart and gives the game his all. He enjoys the game so much that his wish is for Toni-Lee to ride this journey with him and enjoy all the beauty life has to offer.
“Watching her suffer throughout the years, including blood transfusions, biopsies, chemotherapy and her many visits to the ICU, has left me with no choice.
“Many years later I find myself in a position where donating a kidney may be able to help my sister share the sweetness of life once again,” he said.
Toni-Lee’s kidneys started being affected by lupus in 2009 and in Grade Nine she had to drop out of school. She has been on dialysis three times a week since August last year.
“My decision came as naturally as the day we would come from nursery school and she dropped her lollipop and I would share mine.
“Despite all the risks involved, our family is very supportive. As a rugby player, business owner and father I have found it simpler to feed my faith and surrender to all that is good.”
Jesse and Toni-Lee have gone through the difficult testing process and they are a confirmed match.
“The hard yards are done. We’ve done cross-matching of tissue and blood. We have done lots of tests and we are now in the final stages.
“I have seen a psychiatrist and I will be seeing a physician and neurologist to ensure that I’m healthy to continue with the transplant.
Also Read: Lomu loses battle with kidney disease
“We are definitely a match. We haven’t scheduled a date yet as we are left with two more tests. The doctors are saying the transplant will happen within the next month if all goes well.”
According to National Kidney Foundation (NKF), the 2019 figures on South Africa Renal Registry revealed that 7 060 patients were on haemodialysis while 969 were on peritoneal dialysis in South Africa.
“If half of these patients do qualify for a transplant it means that there’s a need for about 4 000 kidneys to be transplanted.”
Four thousand is a big number in a country where, according to the NKF, lack of awareness, understanding and factors such as religious and cultural beliefs and public perception perpetuate organ donation hesitancy.
“Organ donation is important for various reasons but first and above all, it gives somebody a chance at a better, even close to normal life.
“In South Africa, the number of kidney transplants has been less than 300 per year for a long time, which shows the extent of the problem. This means less than 10% of people in need of a kidney transplant will be able to get this life-saving treatment.”
Toni-Lee will get a chance to live normally. She will celebrate her 26th birthday on July 16 with a new lease on life and will forever be indebted to her brother.
“I’m hoping for a good recovery so that I can get back on the rugby field, continue plumbing and hopefully serve as a role model to my kids,” concluded Jesse.
For more information on kidney transplants, go to www.nkf.org.za.
Also Read: Patient asks for more education on kidney failure
