18 Apr 2010
To Madam Pang Kok Lian (above), her husband of 19 years, Mr Ivor Neo, is “the best in the world”.
Mr Neo, 45, donated a kidney to her to enable her to live a quality life, away from a dialysis machine.
After delivering their second daughter, Madam Pang developed kidney problems.
She had chronic glomerulonephritis, says Associate Professor Chan Chong Meng, head of the renal medicine department at SGH.
“She was afraid to undergo a biopsy, so we treated her medically as best as we could.
“Over the years, her kidney function gradually deteriorated.”
By May 2007, Madam Pang needed a transplant and Mr Neo offered his kidney. “Since my blood group is a match and I’m considered quite healthy, I decided to donate,” says the information technology manager.
She turned him down. “Our children are still young. What if the surgery fails? What if both our surgeries fail?” Madam Pang asked him. Their daughters are now aged 16 and 13 years.
Her four siblings were found to be unsuitable as donors. In November that year, she was put on dialysis.
“Each session took four hours three days every week. I felt tired and I wasn’t in the mood for anything else. Everyone was so worried,” says Madam Pang, 44.
She finally relented and agreed to take her husband’s kidney. The couple underwent comprehensive tests over several months before the transplant could be carried out.
Twice the double surgery was postponed because Madam Pang was not fit for the operation.
Through it all, although he was poked repeatedly with needles and had to go without painkillers because of an allergy, Mr Neo didn’t waver. “After the transplant, everything will be okay,” was his view.
In April 2008, his left kidney was transplanted to Madam Pang, who left the operating room with three kidneys — her own damaged ones and his.
After months of recuperation, their lives are now “normal” although Madam Pang has to be on anti-rejection pills and consult a renal specialist for the rest of her life.
Madam Pang, a construction company director, now spends less time at work to be with her loved ones and make up for her “downtime”. The family vacationed in Europe last year.
The couple says they were able to undergo the transplant because of their Christian faith and the SGH team that took care of them.
Says Madam Pang: “The hospital staff were very knowledgeable and prepared us well, that’s why we were quite confident to go through the operations. Everyone was very professional.”
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