A man who has cycled in aid of renal patients for the past 12 years has gone the extra mile and donated one of his own kidneys.

William Saliba’s donation was inspired by a visit to the Renal Unit at Mater Dei Hospital as part of the LifeCycle Challenge programme. There, Mr Saliba met a young woman whom he had seen two years earlier.

“I noticed how she had changed physically. She needed a transplant to be able to live a normal life. There and then, I went to speak to the head nurse and immediately started taking the necessary medical tests.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t compat-ible with the patient, so I let it be,” the 59-year-old recalled.

The life of kidney disease patients changes completely as they must follow a strict diet and quite often spend four hours, three times a week, on the dialysis machine. Their only hope of recovery is to be placed on the waiting list for a transplant. After some years Mr Saliba was approached by the current Renal Unit head nurse Paul Calleja who asked him whether he was still interested in a donation.

It transpired that he could be compatible with three patients, so he started a series of intensive medical tests. In the end he was told that one patient on the waiting list was compatible with him.

Mr Saliba does not recall receiving any psychological support, apart from being asked to be assessed by a board of medical professionals and a priest who ensured that he was taking the decision freely.

He neither received any counselling before nor any emotional support after the operation, apart from that of his family. 

“Following the operation, you do feel some physical discomfort for a few days, but there always looms, at the back of the mind, a mix of powerful feelings and concerns.

“Being psychologically supported is most essential both for the kidney donor as well as the receiver,” Mr Saliba said, adding that since he has always been physically active, he recovered within a few weeks and felt well enough to resume his training.

LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation, which consistently raises awareness on renal failure and raises funds for patients and research, is now striving to offer psychological support to patients, their families and living kidney donors.

Meanwhile, Mr Saliba has urged people to register their wish to donate their organs after their death. “Most donors find it quite inspiring that even after their death, they can still help others in need of a transplant by donating their organs.

The majority of organs of people who die go to waste as, during their lives, most people are failing to register as organ donors,” he said.

For more information visit www.lifecyclechallenge.com.

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