To realise that a kidney has been found for him, was unbelievable to Mr Imtiaz Hassim (44) of Bethal.
He received a new kidney on 26 March after being on the transplant list for five years.
Mr Hassim was diagnosed with kidney failure in August 2011 and has been suffering from high blood pressure since 2007.
In 2011 however he began to lose weight and was constantly tired.
He went to his GP because he had the flu.
His doctor however sent him for blood tests.
It was discovered Mr Hassim’s creatine level was more than 1 100. The normal level should be 120.
Mr Hassim was sent to a specialist, who also performed tests after which he was sent to a nephrologists, a kidney specialist.
He was on a dialysis machine for a week while he was in hospital and afterwards received peritoneal dialysis.
He had to do this dialysis daily for more than five years.
Mr Hassim was put on the transplant list in April 2012.
At one time, two family members and a colleague of him offered their kidneys, but they were not a match.
Mr Hassim said the transplant unit told him to keep his phone with him 24 hours a day, because he could receive a phone call at any time.
On 26 March, a Sunday morning, the family was having breakfast and Mr Hassim’s cell phone was in his bedroom.
The transplant unit phoned him on the landline and asked him why he was not answering his phone.
Within 15 minutes of the call they left Bethal and arrived at about 12pm in Johannesburg.
They did many tests and by 6.30pm that evening, he was pushed into the theatre.
The operation lasted until 11pm that evening.
Though Mr Hassim had a lot of pain afterwards, his recovery was good and he was released after 10 days.
Read the complete article in the Ridge Times newspaper.
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