A simple kidney test could save your life

By Elisha Kamau 

NAIROBI, KENYA: She walks at Uhuru Park energetically through queuing crowds as she talks to people on the importance of a kidney check up as they line up to get tested for any form of the disease. It’s World Kidney Day.  

Meet Christine Kamau, a 14 year old girl and a pediatric kidney transplant survivor. 

Christine was diagnosed with kidney disease in late 2011 and underwent dialysis for one year before she was enlisted for transplant under the KCB Foundation and the Inter-life Transplant Programme supported by Kenyatta National Hospital, Novatis and doctors from Hospital de Barcelona. 

According to the Kenya Renal Association, 1 in every 10 Kenyans have some form of kidney disease. This translates to about 10,000 deaths annually. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is expected to increase by 17 per cent over the next decade, if not recognised as global public health issue.  

Her journey with kidney disease had been long and challenging. Before diagnosis, Christine missed two years of her childhood life and one year of school because she could not live like a normal child. Her aching stomach, swollen legs and face a testament to her sad ordeal. 

“I remember I used to see my friends play in the estate and could simply not join them because of my health condition”, notes a cheerful Christine. 

The disease was emotionally draining, her parents had to tighten their financial belts and sacrifice a lot to make ends meet to provide for the family and the dialysis treatment.  

“My parents used to pay Sh3000 per week for a whole year for kidney dialysis, an expensive affair while still having to ensure that everything went on well in the family.If it were not for my father and family at large, I would not have made it this far,” she adds. 

On August 2013, her father, determined to save her life donated a kidney to her. However, despite getting a matching donor, the cost for the transplant was too high for the family to meet. They had to pay up to Shs500,000 and did not have the financial capability. 

In a twist of events, in late 2013, Christine’s father George Kamau was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital by a colleague who had benefited from the KCB Foundation health programme.  

As a result, Christine and four other children were shortlisted in the KCB programme that catered for all the cost – before during and after the transplant. 

“I was quite lucky having detected the health condition early enough while it was still at its formative stages,” adds Christine. 

Six months down the line, a jovial Christine joined her friends back in school, enjoying every bit of her teen years and has added weight. She beams with joy as she tells us of the activities such as swimming that she will soon engage in.  

However, she offers a word of advice to all, “a simple check could save your life, get screened as kidney disease can be treated through early diagnosis.”