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‘The sky is the limit’, says kidney recipient
Guyana’s first kidney transplant patient, Munesh Mangal, and his mother, Leelkumarie Mangal, left the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday morning with high praises for the medical staff that afforded the young man a new lease on life.
Leelkumarie donated one of her kidneys to her only son, 17-year-old Munesh, on July 12. In a candid interview with this newspaper from her sister’s home at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, where the duo are staying for a while, the mother yesterday expressed open relief that the ordeal was finally over for the family.
In an open show of emotion, she noted that, “A weight has been lifted from our shoulders…My son has suffered for so long, and now it’s finally over… the financial burden is finally gone from us.”
Both the Mangals are doing fine following the surgery, and while they have to take it easy for a while, they report that they are not experiencing any pains or any other after-effects of the seven-hour-long technical surgery. Yesterday, Munesh was wearing a mask over his nostrils, since avoiding infection is critical to his complete recovery at this point.
It is for this very reason that the mother and son are spending time away from their Lusignan home.
“We have dogs at home, and the doctor told us that exposure to animals could cause him to become infected, so we are staying at my sister for a while…When we go home I think that we will get rid of the dogs, because I don’t want anything to interfere with my son’s chance of getting well.”
Meanwhile, Munesh was all smiles as he expressed enthusiasm at returning to the Apex Academy, where he hopes to finally be able to write the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council, which he had to postpone twice as a result of his illness.
With a bright smile, he related that, for the first time in the last two years, it seems like his dream of becoming a spray painter will be realised.
He explained that he learnt the art of spray painting vehicles from his father, who walked out of their home some five years ago.
“My father taught me how to do that, and I fell in love with the profession… That’s what I think I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Displaying the long jagged scar on his abdomen, the young man said that he is extremely optimistic about his future. “The sky is the limit to what I can do.”
Even the more than 30 tablets a day that he has to take fails to mar his buoyancy, as he realistically points out that, “Just being alive is a gift right now.”
This medication includes the anti-rejection drugs which he will have to take for the rest of his life. The duo expressed happiness that they have not had to make any major adjustments to their diet following the surgery.
For now, Munesh should not consume any fruit juices or fatty foods, or exert too much energy.
However, there are no restrictions on his single-parent mother, and, as such, she is anxiously looking forward to returning to vending, which she had to quit to take care of her son.
“Things are finally back to normal for us. We are so grateful for the excellent treatment meted out to us by the doctors and nurses at the GPHC.”
The duo is expected to return to the hospital next week for further tests, after which they will be part of a local clinic where the young man will have his health continuously monitored.
Munesh had been sick most of his childhood, but in 1995 he began crying out for chest pains and suffering from shortness of breath. His condition took a turn for the worse last year, and he was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure last October, while a patient at the GPHC clinic. It was then that the mother decided to undergo preliminary tests to determine her chances as a possible donor to her son.
After numerous tests, she was confirmed a positive match. The surgery was made possible mostly through the efforts of US-based businessman George Subraj, who spearheaded and organized all the arrangements for a team of US doctors to visit Guyana to perform the surgery.
Reminiscing on the entire ordeal yesterday, the elder Mangal was adamant that though the journey was a long, hard one, it was all worth it. She described it as a privilege to be able to give her child one of her kidneys.
When asked if she would do it again, her unhesitating response was, “In a heartbeat, once it involves one of my children.”
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