For some families, sitting in a hospital around the time of their child’s birthday is not a picture they would easily imagine to be a joyful occasion. But for the Arendse family, waiting for their daughter to be discharged from the Renal Ward, it was the most joyful celebration of her young life.
14-year-old Emily Arendse has received a kidney just in time for her birthday!
“I was really shocked that I received a kidney because when we started this journey, they told us that the waiting period was a few months minimum. I thought I might be here longer, so when they said I was getting the transplant because they found a match, I was exceptionally happy and relieved. After the operation, I was still trying to grasp everything that happened,” says Emily.
In August 2020, Emily was suffering with severe migraines which led her to visit her family’s General Practitioner (GP). Highly concerned, the doctor referred her to a specialist who discovered her abnormally high blood pressure. She was then referred to the Louis Leipoldt Mediclinic for a full examination. This was where she was diagnosed with kidney failure.
“It was so out of the blue. A major shock! We weren’t expecting that at all. We thought the migraines was the result of my iron deficiency, but it turned out to be because of my kidney failure.”
When a mother’s instinct takes over, doctors pay attention. Emily’s mom, Chantel, was determined to get to the bottom of her child’s distress. She just knew that there was something wrong. While the doctors gave various reasons for her migraines, she knew that her beautiful, only child was ill.
Says Chantel: “As a parent, if you get told your child went into renal failure, you automatically jump to one conclusion. We don’t think of other options. But there was no debate, we all just agreed that we are going forth with the treatment as a family. Everything just happened so quickly but we met amazing people on our journey and for that I’ll always be thankful.”
The family was transferred to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Renal Unit where doctors treated Emily, while she patiently waited for news of a kidney transplant.
Miracles know no time. They arrive within minutes, months and even years. In October 2020 news of a miracle arrived for the Arendse family.
“Even though I was grateful, I was also sad for the other patients who have been waiting for long periods of time for a match. There were children waiting for years.”
Emily’s wait was over.
The blessing of a miracle is that we encounter it in many small ways, as well as the big ones. It’s the little miracles that we experience every day that keep us trusting, believing and knowing that whatever we go through, we are not alone. The support, experience, knowledge and wisdom of caretakers and healers are the little miracles that help us move towards the big ones. A mother’s love, strength, commitment and presence are healing miracles that all children should experience. Emily was blessed with Chantel.
Her mother was right beside her to keep her hopes up and to also motivate her to continue her schooling while in hospital.
Emily was adamant to keep up to date with her schoolwork while being treated, but as the treatment progressed it became more and more challenging as she felt very ill. Despite this, she connected with her school via the Microsoft Teams online portal.
“I was really worried that I was going to know nothing compared to the other students, I didn’t want to fall behind so I tried to stay up to date,” explains Emily.
For three months post-transplant, patients are advised to stay indoors and avoid crowded areas to minimize the possibility of infections, so Emily is only returning to school this year.
“I’m grateful for my second chance at life. Thank you to everyone in the ward – the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff who helped me on my journey. What I enjoyed the most was the friendships I built with the other girls in the ward. We have a WhatsApp group chat called the ‘Renal Girls’ where we stay in touch with one another,” she says with a big smile.
It’s been a tough journey for the Arendse family, but they remain positive and always stand together.
Emily celebrated her 15th birthday on the 29th of November 2020.
For Emily, her transplant was the best birthday gift ever. It was her miracle, her gift of Life.
