Angelique Seymour van Tonder.
A woman from the west of Pretoria, who was born without any kidneys, is expected to undergo a kidney transplant before Christmas.
20-year-old Angelique Seymour van Tonder is expected to receive a kidney from her husband, “if all goes according to plan”, reports Pretoria Moot Rekord.
This follows Van Tonder receiving a clean bill of health from after discovering cancer cells in her body earlier this year. This put a halt to her planned organ transplant, which was scheduled for the beginning of the year.
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Her tests came back negative last Wednesday.
“I am very excited to finally go forward. The good news came shortly before my one-year marriage anniversary,” she told Pretoria Moot Rekord this week.
Van Tonder explained that her husband, Nico, would also undergo tests to determine that he is a 100% compatible donor.
“After his tests are positive, I will also have to go through a couple of last tests,” she said.
“The doctors just want to make sure that we are both matches for the transplant to go forward.”
Van Tonder was born in 1999 without any kidneys, and had to survive with the aid of a dialysis machine.
Angelique Seymour van Tonder when she was a baby. Photo: Supplied
However, this was all due to change after it was found that her husband would be a possible donor.
The donor process was, however, halted when doctors discovered cancer cells in her body.
The previous test results were all positive.
Angelique was born about eight weeks premature, weighing only 1.5kg.
“Having to live without kidneys has taught me a lot,” said Van Tonder.
“I have learnt so much about what is contained in some food that could not only be harmless to me, but to a regular person as well.”
Her birth without kidneys gave doctors little hope that she would survive.
“Since Angelique’s birth, her life was completely turned around with her moving continuously between her home and hospital,” Mulder said.
By 2000, Angelique had gained enough weight for insertion of tubes to make dialysis possible.
She also got married in July last year.
“Nico and I were friends growing up,” she said.
“We grew apart until we reconnected on Facebook and started talking again.”
Van Tonder said if she should receive the transplant, she would be able to live like “a normal girl”.
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