20 years on borrowed time – a warts an’ all account
One couple's story of the challenges and triumphs of life as a long-time heart recipient... There is a certain proud glow that radiates off Alan Hoyte, 75, as he looks at his wife, Karin, or any of his "four fantastic children." It comes as no surprise then, that when...
Recipient’s heart stolen after transplant
There aren’t many who can boast of recently having walked out of hospital nine days after major surgery and immediately proposing to the love of their lives. Durban-based organ recipient, Navern Munian, 30, is one such person. A goal-driven investment officer in the...
Working like a dog pays off in big haul for bone collector
SINCERE, compassionate, self-effacing, and with a quirky sense of humour, Tracey Gibbs is the kind of woman who will fly off in her gardening gear on a Saturday morning rescue mission at a moment’s notice. It was entirely in keeping with my impression of her to hear...
Get the ball rolling, sign up to help Danny meet his goal!
Get the ball rolling, sign up to help Danny meet his goal written by Janine Magree Danny Mchunu is 33 and looking forward to celebrating his birthday in August, which is also Organ Donor Awareness Month. (Hero777 hopes he has good reason to crack open the champagne.)...
What you may not know about donating your organs
What you may not know about donating your organs Recently, a friend announced with much fanfare on Facebook that she had decided to sign up as an organ donor. I was surprised she hadn’t signed up earlier, as she has always been supportive of the concept. But she’s not...
Work for a cause, not for applause
Work for a cause, not for applause by Janine Magree Celebrating Youth Day today by being change-makers for tomorrow What are our youth doing to be the change they hope to see in our country? Whilst some individuals are ordered to do community service hours as a...
Beauty’s only skin deep… but a donor’s skin can turn a ruined life around
IF SOMEONE asked you the difference between organ and tissue donation would you be able to answer them? The concept is similar, but there is one major difference. When an organ donor dies, the odds of their death occurring under circumstances which would allow their...
WHY I decided to have that conversation with my children
- Written by Lisa Van Deventer - In February of 2017, I read a headline on the Timeslive website, and couldn’t quite believe what I was reading. The teenage son of my old school friend had apparently suffered a brain aneurysm at the local gym and was declared...
Have a heart, support uncle on life-saving mission
“Picture on the right – Jamie (bottom) and clockwise, Simon Purdon and Noah Speirs (both Jamie’s cousins), Josh Waller (Jamie’s brother), Ellen (cousin and Leon’s daughter) and Leon Oosthuizen, Jamie’s intrepid uncle with itchy feet. “ CONSIDERING her mantra, which...
A biker with secondhand parts
YOU'VE woken up with a crick in the neck, and end up walking around for a couple of days wincing at every turn, wondering how you'll manage to sleep if you can't get into a position that relieves the pain. After a few anti-inflammatories, the ache eases, and you thank...
A family living life with a rare kidney disease : Alta Hoffman
The women in our family are outnumbered by males. Of our four children, Johan (22), Elma (19), Janco (12) and Altus, (10), Elma is the only girl. This is a brief account of how all but one of our children have been directly affected by kidney disease, yet all continue...
Part 3: What do you say to the donor family?
Part 3: What do you say to the donor family? MOST people understand full well that writing to the family of an organ donor is not child's play. But it is also not an English exam. The donor family doesn't care about your shocking spelling and grammar. They may...
Part 2 Writing letters to the donor family.
Part 2 Writing letters to the donor family. Written by Janine Magree SINCE organ donation is so rare in this country, it didn't take long for a few people to contact me on social media, telling me their friends had received my son's organs. Somebody told me that...
Thanking the donor family
Thanking the donor family. Written by Janine Magree ON VALENTINE'S Day, I made contact with a mother who had reached out from Canada to other donor families. Her beautiful dark-haired smiley-eyed Neil*, had been involved in a motor vehicle accident in mid-November. As...
Are you too long in the tooth?
Are you too old to donate your organs and tissue? Written by Janine Magree EASTER is just around the corner and this would normally be an opportune time to set up an organ donor awareness table amongst the feel-good fuzzy ducklings, daffodils and bunny decorations at...
World Kidney Day
It is World Kidney Day on the 11th of March 2021. The theme is "Living Well with Kidney Disease." But kidney disease really isn't easy to live with. Both the patient and their support network are often negatively affected. Those in advanced stages of kidney disease...
“A gift of organ donation from my son” By Liza van der Merwe
I would like to share with you the circumstances around my 20-year-old son's becoming an organ donation two years ago, at Milpark Hospital. My son, Cobus, was involved in a horrific motor vehicle accident on the N12 in Mpumalanga. He suffered a traumatic brain...
“Until I heard I needed a heart Transplant, I didn’t know much about organ and tissue donation” By Collin Reddy
Until I discovered I needed a new heart, our family hardly knew anything about organ donation, apart from what we heard periodically on the radio or read in the print media. We never took the time to really understand it. Of course, we would do the usual blood...
“It’s always hard when someone asks you to tell your story” By Kayl Symons
It’s always hard when someone asks you to tell your story. Where do you begin? How much do you tell? It’s weird to even imagine I have a story worth reading. How do you fit a lifetime in a few pages? My name is Kayl Symons, I am 23 years old and I have cystic fibrosis...
“My life as a grateful transplant recipient” by Tersia
The greatest gift one could ever receive is the gift of life… When a person comes face to face with the prospect of death as I have, you tend to look at life very differently. Before my Transplant: Since childhood, I have suffered from chronic liver...
“Celebrating the extended life of Michelle Michael, business woman, philanthropist, lawyer, mother, daughter and friend to many, which was made possible by an organ donor.” by Janine Magree
Once in a while, we come across that rare being whose approach to life is a dizzying whirlwind of philanthropy, family, industry, and achievement. Michelle Michael is one such person. The eldest of four children, Michelle was born in Osindisweni Hospital in...
“Remaining positive and safe while waiting for a transplant.” By Annatjie Nel
I don’t think anybody was prepared for the curveballs that 2020 has thrown at us! The current situation we are facing is almost surreal – and quite terrifying. Trying to protect a vulnerable child – from both the virus and also any illness or injury that would require...
Twenty years on… by Praveena Vather
I am Praveena Vather and I am from Pietermaritzburg. Twenty years ago, I underwent a complete heart transplant at Entabeni Hospital in Durban, becoming the first female to undergo such a transplant in KwaZulu-Natal. Today I am proud to report that I am also the first...
I hope that my, Adriaan’s, story – no “our” story will inspire you to live a life of purpose, bigger than yourself.
I should have died 18 months ago. lnstead, I was reborn after I received a liver from a young man who passed away, but saved my life. A true hero, he will always be part of me. His legacy will continue through my life. This is my story. A story of undeserved grace...
Ruby’s miracle
Our precious little Ruby Jade Ballack was born on Wednesday, 21st of November, 2001. Her name, Ruby, was chosen by her father, Wayne, before she was born, as rubies are his favourite stone. When Ruby made her entrance into the world at 08h05 that morning, weighing...
SHARE YOUR SPARE
I was diagnosed with Stage 3 focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) in 2012, just a few months after our oldest son was born. This came as a massive shock to us because I had never felt sick. It was during my pregnancy (around the 32-week mark) when the doctor...
Being a related kidney transplant recipient – This is Chris’s story
Some of my earliest memories revolve around hospitals and doctors, since they have always been an integral part of my life. Without a miraculous intervention by doctors when I was about 10 months old, a viral infection might have killed me. From that time on, I...
Being a related living donor by Heidi Taylor
I cannot remember a time when my brother was well. That is, not until he received my kidney 30 years ago. I was born in 1964, and Christopher was born in 1967. We have no other siblings. When Chris was 8 months old, and I was just turning three, he contracted a...
A heart of a Stranger – by Sanjay Maharaj
Growing up, medical aid and visits to doctors was not part of our family budget. We were nursed at home, by mum or grandma with traditional medicines. It worked and we lived healthy lives. In mid 2007 I was doing my last delivery of the day in the area I live, I run...
Life as we know it came to a complete standstill! by Annatjie Nel
Life as we know it came to a complete standstill in June 2018 when our oldest daughter, Tanya was diagnosed with end stage renal failure. We are a close family living in a log cabin build by my husband’s great grandfather. We live at Tugela Beach on the KZN North...
