Please help Tracy give her brother a kidney!

It was in early September 2022 as I was preparing to go to bed one night that my Mother called me to tell me the news.

“Harry went to the hospital earlier today, he woke up feeling dizzy and vomited, so he went to see the doctor.”

I felt so concerned and wondered how the hospital visit went. My mother said she had yet to get an update. I decided to call my big brother to ask him about his (would be feeling better by now) illness, but nothing would prepare me for the words he was going to tell me. He told me the doctor diagnosed him with chronic kidney failure, which was already at an advanced stage. He was to start dialysis right away because from the lab results, both of his kidneys were failing. A transplant was the only permanent solution.

My whole world shattered. I was at a loss for words. How could this happen to him? The big brother I’ve always looked up to from childhood all through adulthood? The newlywed with a three-month-old new baby and a Master’s Degree program he has been very excited about.

After talks with the rest of the family, he ultimately decided to start dialysis (two times a week) at one of the few hospitals offering the service in Blantyre, Malawi, two weeks later. His health is slowly stabilizing, something we’re all excited about. But a more sustainable solution, however, is what would be cost-effective and restore a sense of normalcy. As any little sister with such big love for her big brother would, I volunteered myself to be his potential donor. I had a series of tests done by health officials both within the country and the last-tissue typing, done in South Africa after having both our samples submitted by Malawian officials. Tissue typing results came back in December 2022 and we’re a good match!! My brother and I are really excited about this new development, an opening that means no more dialysis, no more shattered hopes and dreams but a normal life with his wife and their new baby.

Unfortunately, we live in a country where kidney transplants don’t take place and we’ve been told to look for hospitals in India where many patients and donors from Malawi have successfully had kidney transplants. The cost of the transplant ranges from $ 17,000 to $19,000, an amount that is outside anything my brother and I can afford. We also will be required to pay for our travel expenses as well as accommodation for the trip, an estimated extra $ 6,000, all of which is out of the reach of our financial capability.

I wish to request with a humble heart, for any well-wishers out there who can help me and my brother raise funds to be able to get the transplant procedure done in India and help lift the heavy weight that has been placed on our family and more especially on my brother these past few months. With your help, I know we can be able to not only raise the money to cover the hospital and the travel expenses but cut the costs of dialysis which right now feels like a life sentence.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and I hope it is worth your consideration for a donation.

Hendrina Tracy Msuku- living kidney donor for Harrison Msuku (my Big Brother <3)