Kidney failure patient aims to create awareness
Botha's Hill resident, Lunga Njikazi said it pains him that he can not pursue his dream of being a chef.
A YOUNG man’s dream of becoming a chef has been put on hold after he was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2015.
Lunga Njikazi (25) from KwaNyuswa in Botha’s Hill, who was orphaned when he was 11-years-old, said he wants to create awareness about this disease and also speak to other people who are also suffering from kidney failure.
He said he was working as a chef in Cape Town in 2014 when his legs started swelling in a ‘strange way’.
“I went to a doctor but was not diagnosed with kidney failure.”
“I came back to Durban in 2015 to complete my second year as a chef student. In July when I was at home I fainted and was taken to hospital. When I regained consciousness, I was told that I was suffering from kidney failure. I was very scared as I did not know anything about this disease,” he said.
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Although Lunga said he thinks sometimes this is a bad dream which will go away, he has learnt to live with it.
“The first thing people need to do is to accept that they are sick, try to stay strong and have hope that they will make it,” he said.
Lunga, whose suffer from stage five kidney failure, said it is hard living with this disease as he lacks energy most of the time.
“That depresses me a lot as I like to work and do things for myself. Not being able to go out and work as a chef which is what I love the most, pains me,” said Lunga.
He has worked in some Hillcrest restaurants and said his favourite dish that he was most complimented for was the mushroom risotto.
Lunga thanked Afros in Pinetown for assisting him with travelling fees as he undergoes dialysis treatment in Chief Albert Hospital three times a week.
“I rely on the grant money and travelling to the hospital costs R95 a day.”
He said his dream now is to create a YouTube channel where he and other patients can share their stories.
To get in contact with Lunga invite him on Facebook, Lunga Njikazi or call 073 673 2373.
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