Man who gave kidney to his brother now needs a new one

Kdney patient Julius Kang'ethe Gakumo

Fourteen years ago, the family of Julius Kang’ethe Gakumo went through a devastating period.

Their son Patrick Waiganjo had been diagnosed with renal failure and was in desperate need of a kidney.

The then 35-year-old Kang’ethe was found to be a perfect match and an operation scheduled to save his brother’s life.

“The operation took eight hours and an even longer time for me to fully recover, yet Waiganjo did not make it. The last time I saw him was at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) ICU and he was in so much pain that he did not utter a single word to me, not even to say goodbye,” Kang’ethe told The Standard during an interview at his home.

Waiganjo passed on five days later, on June 3, 2000, and his remains were interred at Murang’a Catholic Diocese.

“My brother had spent eight years in the seminary training to become a Catholic Father and he was just weeks away from being ordained,” Kang’ethe recalls.

Second blow

It was not easy for the family to come to terms with this loss and just as the wounds were beginning to heal, the past came flooding back in March this year.

“I was having some health challenges and I was referred to KNH where I was subjected to a series of tests and when I presented the results to a medic, she just told me that my kidney was not functioning. This was pretty bad news since I only have one kidney,” Kang’ethe said.

He continues: “The medic advised me to call my wife or any other person who was my next of kin. I tried to seek the way forward from them but they would not budge or offer me treatment. They wanted me to first fetch a family member. This scared me,” he said.

When his wife, Esther Muthoni, arrived from Kandara in Murang’a County, the couple was ushered into a counselling room and given the heart breaking news.

“I was told I need a dialysis procedure since my kidney was failing and they demanded I pay Sh35,000 before they start the treatment,” he said.

This news was difficult for Kang’ethe and his family to absorb and memories of what Waiganjo went through before his death came flooding back.

It had been an expensive and emotionally draining venture but the Catholic Diocese of Murang’a had met the expenses. How was Kang’ethe, a man of meagre earnings, expected to fund such a costly treatment regiment?

But, just as he was about to give up, a friend donated the money and Kang’ethe underwent the first of many dialysis sessions which have now become a weekly routine.

He has lost count of the number of procedures he has been through since March but all his meagre resources are now depleted.

New donor

However, it now appears that Kang’ethe’s kindness to his late brother has now been repaid. Charles Gakumo, his 24-year-old son has volunteered his kidney to save his father.

“Doctors say there is no danger of my son suffering a similar fate if he donates his kidney to me. In fact all the tests have been done and it has been conformed that my son’s kidney is compatible with my body and will end my suffering,” he said.

Despite this optimism, Kang’ethe and his family are facing a big challenge since they have been unable to raise the Sh2.8 million required for a kidney transplant in India.

“I have reached the end of my tether. Sometime back, friends assisted me raise Sh800,000 but this has been wiped out by the dialysis costs. I need to get this transplant fast but I have ran out of options, “ Kang’ethe said.

The father of five is now appealing for help from well-wishers to enable him undergo the kidney transplant before it is too late.