“I hope that my life will change after the kidney transplant and that I can have more freedom in terms of time. I may also be able to further my studies or continue working. I wish that I could play a role in reducing my family’s financial burden.”

Ting Chai Shi from Bintulu, Sarawak, is 25 years old, but her height is less than 150cm. She is much shorter than his parents and sisters. However, Chai Shi always put smiles on her face and talked energetically. It’s hard for others to notice that she has been undergoing kidney dialysis three times a week for the past 12 years, and she was bedridden for two years.

Seeing her daughter go through all the hardships during dialysis, her 56-year-old mother, Chew Siew Foong, decided to donate one of her kidneys to her daughter after confirming that her kidney was a match. She hopes that her daughter will get rid of dialysis and regain a chance to live like the other ordinary men.

“She is still young and has a longer and farther road to go than I am. Since my kidney is suitable, I will donate it to her.”

【The function of both her kidneys failed when she was in secondary school, and she started weekly dialysis that greatly affected her and her family’s life ever since】

When Chai Shi was 14, she often had fevers, oedema, and breathing difficulty at sleep. Therefore, she went to the hospital for treatment. After in-depth testing, the doctor discovered that the function of both kidneys had dropped sharply, leaving only 5%, and Chai Shi needed dialysis as soon as possible. Since then, she has had to live a life of undergoing dialysis three times a week, which caused great inconvenience to her at school, and later started her working career.

As the government-owned dialysis centres were often overcrowded and had long waiting lists, she had no choice but to go to a private centre near her home for dialysis. The initial charge was over RM200 per session; later, the fee was adjusted to RM110 per session. In addition to kidney dialysis, she also needs two supplemental injections every month, which costs RM360. The treatment expenses have put considerable financial pressure on Chai Shi’s family.

Being diagnosed with kidney failure was a massive blow to Chai Shi. Unfortunately, the doctor diagnosed her with parathyroid dysfunction in 2018. This disease causes an imbalance in calcium regulation, making her bones to be fragile and prone to fractures. The doctor did not rule out that this is caused by long-term kidney dialysis. To control her condition, she needs to continuously take bone-strengthening medications, which cost almost RM2,000 a month.

【As a patient with kidney disease and parathyroid dysfunction, her bones were weak. She had two bone fractures, which affected her height】

Once, she fell at home, causing cracks in her pelvis and tail vertebrae. Fortunately, she recovered after hospital treatments and some rest. Unexpectedly, nearly a year later, she had a fracture in her femur and ilium while stepping up the stairs, so she had to undergo steel plate implantation.

Her condition was unique, and she recovered slowly. She was bedridden for a long time and had difficulty taking care of herself. Her family had to take turns to care for her. In addition, she needed to go for regular dialysis, so her parents had to borrow large cars or vans to transport her to and from the dialysis centre. Once, the van they borrowed initially carried seafood, causing Chai Shi to get bacterial infections, which made things worse for her and her family.

After the bone fracture, the length of her legs became uneven. She also had a C-shaped scoliosis in her spine, which shortened her height by more than 10cm.

【The family exhausted all their savings on Chai Shi’s treatment and fought for an opportunity for her to undergo kidney transplantation. However, they cannot bear the substantial medical expenses anymore】

Chai Shi has been on dialysis for 12 years, and she is turning 26 this year. Considering the doctor’s recommendation earlier for a kidney transplant, her 60-year-old father, Ting Haw Seng, and mother, Siew Foong, underwent testing, and the tests showed that her mother’s kidney was a match. They had undergone preliminary testing before the MCO, but the pandemic delayed the transplant plan.

Although the mother’s kidney was suitable for transplantation, they still had no money for medical expenses. Haw Seng is a noodle hawker, and Siew Foong is a housewife who occasionally helps at the stall. They earn about RM5,000 a month. The couple has two other daughters, aged 28 and 21. They are currently working with a monthly salary of about RM1,200 each.

Over the years, Haw Seng was the sole breadwinner of the family. He paid for their living expenses and Chai Shi’s medical fees. The couple had little savings left. In addition, the transplant surgery will be done at a hospital in West Malaysia, so she has to stay for several months to allow doctors to monitor her condition closely and attend follow-up sessions. Therefore, they need to prepare a significant amount for their living expenses.

After reviewing the case following a home visit, One Hope Charity decided to assist them in raising the RM170,000 they needed, including expenses for the kidney transplant, medicine and examination costs, so that Chai Shi and her mother, Siew Foong, could undergo the transplantation surgery as soon as possible. Chai Shi and her family agreed to fully authorise One Hope Charity to take charge of the fundraising and collect donations from well-wishers on their behalf. One Hope Charity will allocate RM 10,000 from its "Emergency Medical Reserve Fund" for this case. Call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192 if you have questions.