“I treasure my family now more than ever and have taken on a more positive outlook in life.”
– Madam Loke Poh Lu
While every mother-daughter relationship is special, what Madam Loke Poh Lu and Britney share is something much greater.
When 5-year-old Britney’s kidneys failed three years ago after a bout of pneumonia, her parents were devastated. It meant dialysis for the rest of their daughter’s life, unless she received a new kidney.
“Back then, I was thinking that if there was anything I could do to make her healthy again, I would,” recalled Madam Loke.
The mother of two did just that. Determined to free Britney from a lifetime of dialysis and for her to grow up like any normal child, Madam Loke made the selfess decision to donate one of her kidneys to her. After going through a thorough medical process and counselling, mother and daughter underwent a successful transplant operation in March last year.
Within months of the surgery, Madam Loke resumed working. With the help of NKF’s Kidney Live Donor Support Fund, her follow-up treatment expenses are well taken care of, which is a great relief for the family. Meanwhile, Britney was thrilled to finally get to play in a pool for the very first time.
“She had to stay away from pools when she was on peritoneal dialysis, for fear of infection.” explained Madam Loke. “She used to ask why her brother could go swimming but she could not. It is a happy sight to see her playing in the water.”
Both mother and daughter have also become more health-conscious and try their best to eat healthily. Said Madam Loke, “If I tell Britney not to eat something because it is not good for her, she will follow, because she knows that mummy’s kidney is inside her and she has to keep it healthy!”
