Forema.biz - Letters by Juliette

17/05/2022

Heart transplant recipients' incredible story! Source: Sunday Times, Orrin Singh - 08 May 2022

Just 10 days after a heart transplant gave him a second chance at life, Durban business analyst Navern Munian caused his fiancé's ticker to skip a beat when he proposed to her as he was being discharged from the hospital.

A week after floods ravaged parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Munian, 30, awoke to a life-changing call from his organ transplant co-ordinator telling him that he would be receiving a new heart.

The call came exactly three years to the day after Munian underwent an emergency operation to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator inserted into his chest to ensure the pace of his heart remained constant.

In 2008 while he was in grade 11, Munian underwent a double-valve replacement after being diagnosed with acute left ventricular failure, a disease that affects the heart muscle.

For more than a decade his life was forced into the slow lane as he suffered congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, which led to him undergoing constant tests, operations and being placed on the organ donor list.

Then came the fateful call on April 19 and the transplant later the same day, at Busamed Gateway private hospital in Umhlanga.

Munian astounded medical staff by his quick recovery that allowed doctors to discharge him after 10 days.

As hospital nurses, surgeons and doctors gathered in the foyer to wish him well, Munian's new heart was racing.

After days of planning from the confines of his hospital bed, Munian put that heart on the line and proposed to his fiancé, Sherice Roopai, who said yes.

Roopai told the Sunday Times she was overjoyed by the proposal.

“Life for Navern and I changed in 2019. Being at the prime of our lives, we received the devastating news of his poor medical prognosis. We weren’t able to plan for the future due to so much uncertainty.

“His donor blessed us with a gift of life, a second chance at our happily ever after,” she said.

With a newfound purpose and outlook on life Munian has shifted his attention to encouraging people to sign up as organ donors.

“I want to set up a non-profit organisation and convert it to a public benefit organisation so I can assist people who find themselves in need of organ transplants but do not have the means.”

The couple is yet to settle on a wedding date.
For more info or to register as an organ donor go to www.odf.org.za

Just 10 days after a heart transplant gave him a second chance at life, Durban businessman Navern Munian caused his fiance's ticker to skip a beat when he proposed to her as he was being discharged from hospital.

10/03/2022

World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign aimed at highlighting the importance of healthy kidneys. https://worldkidneyday.org/
One of the aims of WKD is to encourage Transplantation as a best-outcome option for end-stage kidney disease, and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative.
Did you know that CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) affects over 500 million people globally, and can affect people at any age? Most people who have the disease don't know they do. Poor lifestyle choices are rapidly accelerating the progression of CKD, and yet are preventable.
Prevention is better than cure, so here are 8 ways to care for your kidneys.
1. Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the most common cause of kidney damage.
2. Manage your blood sugar levels. About half the people who have diabetes develop kidney damage.
3. Get fit and stay active.
4. Eat healthily and manage your weight. Good nutrition helps prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with CKD, as well as keep your weight under control. Obesity is also a risk factor for several other lifestyle diseases.
5. Reduce your salt intake.
6. Maintain a healthy fluid intake.
7. Do not smoke.
8. Avoid taking over-the-counter pills regularly.

Treatment Options
When someone’s kidneys fail, they may be treated via Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT); which includes haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and organ transplantation.
The organ donation conundrum. Why more transplants are critical.
Dialysis is an expensive, ongoing treatment, making a kidney transplant the patient’s best RRT option, both in terms of quality of life and cost-effectiveness. The World Health Organization cites kidney transplantation as the most frequently performed transplantation globally.
There is a critical need for kidney transplants, with transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure.
Many people would gladly donate a kidney so that their child, parent or loved one has the chance to lead a normal life. Can a person donate an organ while alive?

Organ donation generally refers to a person giving consent to having an organ removed, legally, while they’re alive (living donation), or with their next of kin’s consent if they’re deceased.
Living donation refers to a healthy person donating an organ or partial organ while alive. In this case, the organ could be their kidney, or partial liver, (as well as tissues, blood and bone marrow).
There are 2 types of live donors:
1. An elective donor is usually a family member of the recipient; there is a much higher success rate with blood group and tissue type compatibility
An elective donor can also be unrelated, such as a spouse or friend.
2. An altruistic donor is a person who has made the decision to donate an organ to a stranger purely as a good deed to give the gift of life to another. The donor and recipient are strangers and neither the donor nor the recipient’s identity may be revealed.

To be a live donor, the person needs to be in optimal health and ideal body weight.
All potential live donors are also assessed by medical professionals, a psychologist or social worker to ensure the following:
 The donor and recipient are a blood and tissue match.
 He/she is physically and emotionally healthy.
 He/she understand the risks.
 He/she is wanting to donate for the right reasons.
 He/she understand that they will not be paid.

In South Africa, all non-related and stranger altruistic donations have to be approved by the National Department of Health.
Humans only use about a quarter of their kidney function (if the kidney is healthy), so any healthy individual can easily function with one kidney, and still have kidney function in reserve. This makes donating a kidney a no-brainer!
Organ donation is a gift of life for somebody in desperate need. Register today and become a proud organ donor.
For more information call the Organ Donor Foundation of South Africa on 0800 22 66 11 toll-free or visit www.odf.org.za for quick and easy signup. Remember to discuss your decision with your family; they will have the final say at the time of your death.

South Africa Transplant Coordinators Society Anja Meyer

18/02/2022

"The greatest wealth is health" Virgil
Since February is the month of love, and 18 February is *Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day*, then what better way to “love your heart” than by following some simple Do’s and Don’ts to optimise a healthy heart score. At the same time, you’ll also be boosting your immunity; something vital in the fight against illness including Covid.
How can you follow a healthy lifestyle? One step at a time. Make gradual changes.
Pay attention to getting sufficient sleep, proper hydration, regular exercise and healthy eating. Remember to take some time to relax doing something you enjoy, (listen to music, reading, hobbies or spending time with family or friends) as this contributes to an overall healthy lifestyle and well-being.
1. Sleep hygiene - getting enough quality sleep. Up to 8 hours per night will help reduce stress levels and maintain a healthy body.
2. Hydration - drink 6-8 glasses of clean, safe water per day.
Replace sugary drinks and flavoured waters that can cause an energy rush and weight gain.
3. Daily exercise – walk, swim, run, dance, hike or play a sport, just choose something that you will enjoy. Physical inactivity greatly increases your risk for non-communicable diseases, which include cancer, cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), chronic respiratory diseases (such as asthma and chronic obstructed pulmonary disease) and diabetes.
4. Healthy eating – enjoy up to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily: they are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as dietary fibre. Instead of take-aways make smarter food choices. This will help to maintain your ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure, and prevent diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and other conditions that may place your body’s organs under strain.
5. Live your life to the fullest, but when that life comes to an end (as it inevitably does), why not consider giving the gift of life to others through organ donation? Transplantation can mean the essence of a healthy life, to those on the waiting list.

Register today and become a proud organ and tissue donor. Remember to discuss your decision with your family, as they have the final say at the time of your death.
Go to www.odf.org.za for simple quick signup or call 0800 22 66 11 (toll-free) to register.

South Africa Transplant Coordinators Society Anja Meyer
Tissue Donation South Africa Organ Donor Foundation Informer

09/02/2022

14/08/2021

So proud of the difference you have made in another family's life Nicky! South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR)

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

By Ila Alberts

You can be a real lifesaver. This is the central message of Nicola Kassier, a Stellenbosch University alumnus who donated bone marrow in February 2010 after registering at the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR). Her donation saved the life of a young man who had been suffering from cancer.

To read the full article, click the link in our bio! ✍️

📷: Supplied

24/06/2021

This winter you can be a hero by taking part in one (or all) of these easy actions that will change lives and maybe even save a few!

This winter you can be a hero to someone else by taking part in one (or all) of these easy actions that will change lives and maybe even save a few!

12/05/2021

Make a difference, register as an organ and tissue donor on www.odf.org.za
or Click here to make a donation now
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/ODF-FundraisingYou

Organ Donor Foundation - JOG FOR JAMIE
Jamie was a healthy, happy, ‘normal’ 23-year-old who had moved out of home, had a great job and was starting out as an independent woman. Overnight her life changed. She went into hospital one Saturday morning with suspected pneumonia and came out of hospital 3 weeks later. About a year later she was placed on the heart transplant waiting list.

Jamie’s condition has since deteriorated and in March this year she was admitted to Christiaan Barnard to have an LVAD (left ventricle assist device) inserted. This pump is inserted into the heart to keep the blood moving through the body. The idea being that Jamie will become stronger and healthier and in +2 years she can have a heart transplant, should the “ideal” heart become available. Jamie is at home recovering, and her new mantra is “Each day I am getting stronger”.

Leon Oosthuizen, Jamie’s uncle has taken up a challenge of running a gruelling 132.30km from Nottingham Road to Sani Pass (setting out on 28 May) and in doing so is hoping to raise funds for Jamie’s charity of choice, the Organ Donor Foundation. Leon is an amazing human-being and we know people would love to see him succeed in the run, and in raising funds for such a worthwhile cause.

Thank you for your support and donation.

Make a difference, register as an organ and tissue donor on www.odf.org.za
Remember to follow the ODF on Facebook to track Leon's journey by JOG FOR JAMIE
Click here to make a donation now
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/ODF-Fundraising

12/10/2020

Please support my amazing friend!! Tanya Bothma is at it again!

Sharing on behalf of Tanya Bothma 💓⁠
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Spear Reit Limited is proud to join forces with Tanya Bothma and A NEW BREATH for another opportunity to raise money, and awareness, for the organ transplants. Tanya is a proud survivor of a double lung transplant and works tirelessly to give others the gift of a second chance too.⁠
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To all my family and friends:-) ⁠
It’s that time again, whoop whoop! I, unfortunately, cannot sail this year BUT we always make a plan! ⁠
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SPEAR REIT limited and The Little Optimist trust has helped me put this awesome campaign together to help RAISE funds for the Groote Schuur Lung transplant unit.⁠
I am here today because of this amazing hospital, it’s doctors, staff, and my amazing family and friends, and of course Our amazing Father above. I have been given a second chance in life and would like to help others awaiting a lung transplant with funding and this amazing hospital. Breathing is taken so for granted until you cannot breathe... ⁠
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Please help me to help this awesome hospital and its patients awaiting a double lung transplant. You can donate by climbing on the boat (and sipping on bubbly) OR donate by clicking on the link below. Every little bit goes a long way ❤️⁠
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From the bottom of my lungs, a BIG thank you ###⁠
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Great prizes to be won! Donations end on 18th October 2020!⁠
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https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/spear-reit-global-race⁠
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Organ Donor Foundation Informer South Africa Transplant Coordinators Society

02/09/2020

Tanya Bothma's message from a donor family perspective on the one hand and transplant recipient on the other is extremely powerful. My hero ❤️

30/08/2020

With National Organ Donation Awareness Month being commemorated this month, a Durbanville resident shared her story about receiving a bilateral lung transplant.

24/08/2020

Sharing Tina B's incredible story!!! Privileged to know this strong, amazing woman. Tina received a heart and bi-lateral lung transplant 9 years ago - so much gratitude for her donor 🙏❤️

*August is organ donor awareness month – if you would like to register please go to www.odf.org.za/organ-donor-registration I was born with 3 holes in my heart, a missing tricuspid valve, an irregular & fast heart beat and narrowed arteries between the heart and lungs, so my chances of survival we...