Help needed for Malvern cop’s kidney transplant after-care costs

METRO cop, Selwyn Sylvester Phillips has been fighting kidney disease for the past five years and doing pretty well until this year when he fell ill and needed an emergency operation.

“I have been diagnosed with kidney disease for the past five years. We were doing a pretty good job in maintaining my levels until January this year when I felt very unwell and had to have an emergency colon operation. This resulted in my kidney function dropping very rapidly and I had to be taken back to theatre for a dialysis port to be inserted in my chest. I was in the hospital for 23 days most of this in ICU,” said Phillips.

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He now spends four hours on dialysis, three times a week. “I am now in renal failure,” he said in a story the usually very reserved and private man shared online.
“My recent results showed that I needed a transplant as my kidney function has dropped despite me being on dialysis,” he explained.

Luckily for Phillips, he has a live donor who is able to offer him a kidney, but despite him being on medical aid, there are many costs that will not be covered.

“This is my challenge,” he wrote in an appeal for assistance. “All my hospital costs will be covered by medical aid, however testing and out-of-hospital costs will have to be covered by me.”

The Queensburgh News was made aware of Phillips’ need by a friend of the family who felt the newspaper might be able to let people know and perhaps someone would be able to provide some assistance to offer financial support for the costs of transplant after-care.

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The sooner Phillips is able to raise the funds to expedite the testing, the sooner he will be able to have the transplant.
“This will possibly give me a new lease on a better quality of life with my family and allow me to go back to serving and protecting the community as a Metro Police officer,” said Phillips in his appeal.

A social event is being hosted by the family to help raise funds for the medical costs.  Tickets to a night of comedy, a three-course-dinner, and dance at the Umhlatazana Hall on Friday, 15 November, can be bought at R200 a head from Lorraine Phillips by calling her on 084 0723 889 or by emailing phillipslorraine@ymail.com.

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