Prior to becoming a dialysis patient, Mr Ahmat Bin Pagi, 66, and his wife, Mdm Hamidah Bte Mohamed Noor, 63, had already been actively volunteering with NKF for more than a decade under the pioneer Grains of Hope (GOH) programme. Unfortunately, Mr Ahmat was diagnosed with kidney failure five years ago and became an NKF patient himself. Despite having to cope with the stress and side effects of undergoing dialysis, Mr Ahmat remains resilient and continues to render his time to others in need.
Mr Ahmat and his wife, Mdm Hamidah, had a close friendship with their GOH beneficiary, the late Mdm Norlela Rise, 56. Over the years, they went the extra mile many times to purchase additional daily necessities for her out of their own pockets. As Mr Ahmat is a patient himself, he was able to empathise with the struggles that Mdm Norlela had and encouraged her to stay strong. The couple is sad that she is no longer with them but treasures the fond memories that they have of the time spent with her.
Mr Ahmat has a big heart for patients like himself. Together with a few other patient volunteers, he formed a befriending group to try to motivate and remind patients that they too could overcome their challenges to lead meaningful lives. Since April 2019, Mr Ahmat and his fellow befrienders have been visiting patients at the three dialysis centres in Yishun on a monthly basis.
