HOPE is the order of the day for a Durban single mother whose five-year-old son needs a kidney transplant.
Kidney Awareness Week runs in the first week of September and is aimed at focusing on the function and health of kidneys.
School teacher, Robyn Shackland said she decided to raise awareness about the disease by sharing the story of her son, Hayden Martin, a happy five-year-old bubbly little boy. She said Hayden was just two years old when he was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, CKD is a dangerous medical condition characterised by a gradual loss of kidney function over time and, if left untreated, can then lead to chronic renal failure (CRF).
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Once you have reached end-stage chronic renal failure you have two options – dialysis for the rest of your life, or a kidney transplant. “He started being sick, couldn’t keep anything so he was initially submitted for dehydration,” said Shackland.
Shackland said after a series of tests doctors found that Hayden’s kidney was not growing.
“He was two years old with a kidney of a two-week old child,” she said.
Ever since then, Shackland has been trying to find a kidney donor for Hayden. “When people meet him they can’t believe it’s the same child that has been through so much because he is always happy,” said Shackland. She has tested herself but was unfortunately not a 100 per cent match.
“Hopefully he does not get sick, otherwise we would have to do dialysis and dialysis is very traumatising for children. He has one more stage to go then he will definitely need a transplant but at the moment we don’t have a match,” she said.
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“He has not had a transplant due to Covid-19. They said they don’t want to do tests on family members or friends because he is high risk and they do not want to get him infected. It’s a waiting game now.”
Shackland said they hope to resume testing at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital next year January. The tests are done at the renal section and only cost R60. As a single mother without medical aid, Martin said the whole process has been extremely difficult.
“I was almost going to break but obviously I had to be strong because he only has me and my family of course but me (mostly),” said Shackland.
“It was difficult but he is lucky to have me and I am lucky to have him, very blessed.”
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