#AppreciationMonday: Her high school sweetheart donated his kidney to her
What started off as kidney stones caused her to lose her kidney...
True love stories are few and far between, but this one reminded us that when you love limitlessly, there is nothing you won't do for the one you love.
Sanjeev and Urisha met in high school and their love story has been through illness, hardship, organ donation, and healing.
When Urisha was just 14, she had kidney stones. When she went to hospital to remove them, it turned out her kidney had to be removed because it was too inflamed to operate.
After losing her kidney, she was not aware that she needed to go for regular checkups and in 2015 after getting married, she fell pregnant. But due to extreme high blood pressure and low kidney function, she was advised to terminate her pregnancy.
In 2016, they wanted to try again and this time when she went to hospital, she found out that she in fact had chronic renal disease.
She shared this chapter of her life with us in more detail.
Over the next few years, I followed a diet and had so much difficulty coping with life. I had extreme fatigue, most of the time sick however I had to continue with life. The bills didn’t pay itself. In 2019 my kidney function dropped to 15 and I was then requested to insert a fistula into my left arm. In August 2019 I spent 7 hours in surgery. On the 25th of November 2019 I was cannulated (my First Dialysis) for the first time at Mount Edgecombe private hospital. However, it wasn’t as simple as that. My second cannulation was a disaster with the nurse hurting my fistula sending me back into surgery to insert a catheter into my arm. It was the worst experience of my life. My dialysis continued from 2019 and over the next year I wasn’t even added onto the transplant list.
Read more: What you need to know about kidney disease
In 2021, Urisha changed doctors and found someone who was going to fight for her. Under Dr IG Randeree's supervision, she was placed on the transplant list within six months.
It was then that their relationship took on another test. The two have been together since 2004 and Sanjeev always told her that if she ever needed a kidney, he would donate.
I always took that as a joke but when the time came, without hesitation he began the transplant work up to donate. No one from my family came forward to go through the process but Sanjeev did. I didn’t want him to have to ever suffer the way I did but for him, I was all that mattered.
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Just as things were looking up for her, she got COVID-19 during the unrest, had a miscarriage, then went through depression and later lost her job.
That's a lot for one person to take, especially with the health complications she had been facing for what seemed like an eternity. But there is always a silver lining, you just have to be willing to see it...
But Sanjeev, he supported me, helped me, motivated me and ensured that I would get better. In February 2022 everything was approved for transplant. Sanjeev matched. Everything was finally happening. April 1st, we went in for our transplant. The journey has not been easy, but Sanjeev kept us strong, kept us positive and motivated me the most to get better. Currently my kidney function is amazing. Sanjeev is still recovering has his body is still adjusting to a new way of life. I thank God every day for him. For giving me the gift of life and for being my pillar of strength through it all.
Listen to her words of gratitude and a message for KZN and the world...
Image Courtesy of Urisha Deochand