Shaun Phelan (23), an electrical apprentice from Stanger, Kwa-Zulu Natal, learned that his dad, Shaun (Senior), was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure in January 2020.
Just 3 months later, doctors discovered that his kidney function was less than 4%.
Hearing that her son and her husband of over 24 years were facing equally difficult obstacles was extremely difficult for Sharon and her family.
“I watched my diabetic husband, who was always active, go through a bypass, then dialysis, and then he was completely reliant on a wheelchair. Then Shaun got sick, which was a major shock, as he had always been healthy.” – says Sharon.
Sadly, Shaun Senior (55) who was a wonderful and giving person, succumbed to kidney failure on 5 October 2021, as he was ineligible for a kidney transplant due to his health problems.
In the absence of his dad, who he loved dearly, Shaun was determined to defeat his diagnosis and was fully focused on his health. Shaun underwent dialysis 3 times a week for up to 6 hours.
“Mom was my Miracle”
Facing the reality that Shaun’s only hope of a ‘normal and functioning’ life, was to have a kidney transplant as soon as possible, Sharon dutifully volunteered to get tested, hoping to beat the 50/50 odds of becoming a kidney donor for her son.
Undergoing blood type, crossmatch, and HLA testing (tissue typing), Sharon was elated to learn that she was a perfect match for Shaun.
“I am really happy that I am a match for my son as this means that he can get the transplant sooner and not have to wait for a match to be found. I hoped that the transplant would be a success so that he can carry on and live his dream and he would not be held back as he was at that moment” – says Sharon
Saving Shaun’s life
With a donor match secured, Shaun was scheduled to undergo his kidney transplant at Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital on 23 June 2022.
To help cover the donor costs not covered by Shaun’s medical aid, as well as Shaun’s transplant and living expenses before and after the life-saving transplant, Sharon had launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy.
A kidney transplant will save Shaun’s life
Since the launch of the campaign, over R69 000 has been raised with kind contributions from 50 donors.
Update
Thank you for your support and for walking the transplant journey with me. I couldn’t have done this without you! The transplant took place on the 14th of June, 2022. The transplant was a success, and the doctors are happy with my progress. My blood levels are coming back to normal slowly.
My mother is also doing well and is recovering well. I am on numerous different medications to help with anti-rejection, blood pressure, etc. And medication is really costly. The bills are also starting to come in now from the hospital.
The transplant has impacted my family’s and my life in a positive way as I have not had the need to do dialysis since the 13th of June 2022 because the transplanted kidney has worked immediately after the operation being done. If anything, this journey has taught me one thing is that the support from your friends and family helps with a speedy recovery and makes everything a bit easier to cope with.
The donations so far have helped me to pay urgent bills that needed to be paid and have made life a bit easier in terms of stress levels.
Support this campaign on BackaBuddy:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/shaun-phelan
Alternatively, donate via Snapscan:
https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/ShaunPhelan
Become an Organ Donor:
By becoming an organ donor you can save 7 lives and help 50 people.
Register with the Organ Donor Foundation here.
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