Mohd. Ghazali Ismail never really had a normal childhood and had to depend on an organ donor because he was not a healthy child. While children spent time frolicking around in the sun, Ghazali had to suffer a great deal of pain within the four walls of the hospital as he had a disease that damages his kidneys.
Nephrotic Syndrome had the poor boy literally chained to the kidney dialysis machine for 13 long years.
Ruhana Talib, the boy’s mother, sacrificed a lot for her son without any complaints. She shared that her son endured four two-hour dialysis sessions a day: "My son was so weak from the endless treatments, he could barely move."
She added: "Because he did not even have the strength to open his eyes, I would read his textbooks to him by his hospital bed so that he could be ready for his examinations."
An organ donor is scarce
Seeing your own flesh and blood suffer is the hardest to bear and back then, organ donors are hard to come by.
Ruhana recalled: "When we heard that it was possible to donate our organs, the whole family stepped up and offered to donate their kidneys to Ghazali."
Then they went through a year of cross-matching to make sure they found the most compatible kidney for Ghazali and mummy Ruhana was the best match.
She recounted: "At that point, I did not care what would happen to me. All I wanted was for my son to be alive and well, living his life to the fullest. I have lived my life, it was time for my son to live his.”
Ghazali was not a selfish child and he realized how huge of a sacrifice his mum had to make, he said: "I was hoping that my mother would change her mind and hoped that I had died so she would not have to go through it."
Surgical complications
Ruhana did go through some complications as the transplant surgery was not as smooth-flowing as expected. The wounds had also “burst” open when she sneezed post surgery. But all was resolved in the end.
Not only did Ruhana bring Gazali into the world, she also made sure that he could continue to live an enriched quality life by giving up her own vital organ so he would not suffer as much.
It’s a happy ending; all this took place six years ago. Ghazali is now married and expecting a child of his own. He will always remember how his mother gave him the second chance at life.
Question: Would you do the same for your child?
Also read: Share your organs on Facebook
