Yuen Mann Mei Rachelle, 15

School: Bukit Batok Secondary School

Topic: Letter to a friend suffering from kidney failure

Award: Third Place, Senior Category, 2021

Dear Kauline,

The diagnosis from the doctor came as a shock and I know you must be inconsolable right now. I respect that you need space and time to accept the reality. I am very happy that you trusted me and had asked me along for yesterday’s consultation. Thank you for allowing me to be with you during this very difficult period. I will always be by your side fighting the battle with you. Coincidentally, I have a close relative who has the same condition as you and is still living well with support from close friends and relatives. I took the liberty to research more on the various options that the doctor advised yesterday.

Kidney acts as a filter in our body, helping to remove waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body. It also helps to maintain a safe level of certain minerals in our blood such as potassium, sodium bicarbonate and helps to control our blood pressure. A failing kidney means that this process is significantly compromised and hence the individual need to rely on dialysis to substitute the function of the kidney. Dialysis is done by removing the impurities in the blood that is cleaned by the dialysis machine before being returned to the body. Dialysis can be done at a hospital, dialysis centres or at home. Each dialysis session lasts about 4 hours and needs to be done 3 times in a week. Dialysis can achieve 10 to 20 percent of the renal function and keep you living well. A shunt will be placed into your arm before going for dialysis, and the needle is two times the normal size and this might be scary. I understand from my relative that the dialysis process is quite painful, and many feel very lethargic after the dialysis session.

The other treatment option is a kidney transplant. A kidney transplant is a process where a kidney is surgically removed from a donor and implanted into a patient with kidney failure. The donated kidney can come from a medically certified brain-dead person or from a healthy living donor. The average waiting time once you are on the national organ transplant waiting list is about 3 to 4 years. The chances of getting a perfect fit are very slim. The pros about having a kidney transplant is that it provides a better quality of life than dialysis as you are no longer restricted by dialysis sessions. You will feel more energetic and live like a regular person after the kidney transplant. While the cons of having kidney transplant is that after kidney transplant, you will need to be on lifelong medication. This medication ensures that your body does not reject the transplanted kidney. Every drug has its side effect, and the negative effect of the anti-rejection medication is that it inhibits the immune response of the body which means you are likely to be more susceptible to infections and it also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Medical science has advanced and most patients only spend three to four days in the hospital for post-surgery recovery and 98 percent of them don’t have any major complications after the surgery. Though dialysis has a lower risk as compared to surgery, I would not want to see you suffer with needle holes and having to undergo dialysis 3 times a week for 4 hours for the rest of your life. On weighing the effect of the medication and the quality of life, I would think that kidney transplant would be more advisable. We can hope that after the surgery, you would be able to return to your old self, enjoying every day to the fullest. Think about the good times we can spend shopping and café hopping again. Wouldn’t that be great? I know the waiting list for kidney transplant is very long and the chances of finding a perfect match is also slim, but we must always be optimistic. As long as you are breathing, there is still hope. We must stay positive and hope to see the next sunrise every day.

You have always had a very special place in my heart. We have come a long way, and I will do whatever I can to help you overcome this huddle in life. I would like to donate my kidney to you if I am a match. I will also use my social media network to gather more people who know you to come forward. You have always put others before yourself, so now it’s our turn to return the favour. I believe that as long as you don’t give up, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really hope to see you back on feet soon and I really miss the smile on your face. Please stay strong and I will always be your rock.

Love,
Rachelle

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2021 are those of the participants and are not endorsed by the National Organ Transplant Unit (Ministry of Health).

To learn more about organ donation and organ transplantation in Singapore, please visit www.liveon.gov.sg ↗ (opens in new tab)