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Emirati cop donates kidney, saves bedridden mum

Abu Dhabi - Forty one-year-old Sultan Saeed Al Tamimi says awareness is needed on organ donation

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Future of organ transplant looks bright in UAE Dr Bashir Sankari, chief of the subspecialties institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, who has performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants during his career, said although this was the first kidney transplant at the hospital, it won't be the last. "Organ transplantation is a very rewarding field, it changes the life of the patient, you take a patient who has organ failure and you completely change their life to the better." Dr Sankari stressed that there are currently more than 1,200 people across the country who require dialysis. However, he said he is hopeful about the future healthcare of the UAE and believes organ transplant will continue to benefit many lives, especially when the new law on organ transplant will become implemented in the future. "The 'braindead law' has become legal, if the patient is declared brain dead, but the rest of the organs are alive, the family will be given an opportunity to donate the organs to the society. This opportunity will open the door for what we call the diseased donor kidney transplant." "The future of transplants look very bright for the UAE. With the expertise on the ground and with the need of the population, transplantation is going to excel." jasmine@khaleejtimes.com

It has been nearly seven months since Sultan Saeed Al Tamimi donated his kidney to his 73-year-old bedridden mother, Moza Salem Al Mansouri. Now the police officer is doing whatever he can to raise awareness on the importance of organ transplantation.
Sharing his experience, Al Tamimi, a 41-year-old Emirati police officer, told Khaleej Times, although his ordeal of watching his mother's struggle is over, many patients are hoping against hope to receive a kidney transplant.
"I want to raise awareness, because I think supporting those who are facing difficult times is crucial. Giving encouragement will allow them to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
He added: "For me, donating my kidney to my mother, is a small and simple gesture, I feel that I have given her nothing, because she is my mother and she has given me everything, I only gave her my kidney, if she needs anything more that I can give, then I will do it without hesitation, because she's my mother and you know what is the meaning of a mother."
He said his mother today has regained her strength, is able to walk and eat on her own, adding that it's the quality of life that is most important.
"I'm very happy because my mother is not suffering like before. She was unable to move, she could not eat and could not do many things. But after the operation everything changed, she is always walking around and she's very happy now - we all are."
Dr Bashir Sankari, chief of the subspecialties institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, told Khaleej Times Al Tamimi has become a vocal spokesperson on how organ transplant saves lives, and even shared it with a group of caregivers just last week at the clinic.
Going back to seven months ago, Dr Sankari recalled the first moment of how Al Tamimi's mother refused her son's idea of donating his kidney.
Dr Sankari said the mother was suffering from diabetes, hypertension and it was declared that she was close to requiring dialysis.
"Her son said to us: 'How about I donate my kidney? Initially, she refused, but Al Tamimi came and talked to us without her, and found that he was a match. He ended up donating his kidney."
Dr Sankari said the son certainly helped save his mother's life, a future that does not require his elderly mother to go through the agony of dialysis.
"The idea of being on dialysis three times a week, sitting hooked on a machine for three-four hours is difficult on anyone. Once the kidney has failed, you cannot reverse it."
He said prior to the operation, teams of experts had to make sure they were ready to give the mother a new vision on life.
"Before we went through the operation, which was our first kidney transplant, we did three mock operations."
He said although the mother at first refused to take an organ from her son, she is now healthy and content.
Dr Sankari noted that the operation took between three to four hours, and the donor left the hospital after three days, while his mother left after just six days.
"Moza was losing hope, but now she is full of life."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com