Patience Appau Owusu, a 28-year-old trained nurse from Ghana, has been battling stage 5 chronic kidney disease for four years. Her condition has confined her to regular dialysis sessions and a desperate wait for a life-saving kidney transplant. Despite her illness, Patience remains hopeful and is appealing to the public for financial assistance to raise the funds needed for the transplant surgery.
Patience's journey with kidney failure began when she was preparing to write her final licensing examinations at Tepa Nursing Training School in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She started feeling sick and was diagnosed with kidney failure at a hospital in Pesga. She was subsequently referred to Sunyani Teaching Hospital and later to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), where she has been receiving treatment.
Patience's condition has had a significant impact on her daily life. She relies on her mother for even the most basic daily needs, including bathing, walking, and eating. Her illness has also affected her career as a nurse, and she is now unable to work. Patience's mother, a seamstress in Tepa, has had to put her work on hold to care for her daughter.
According to Consultant Nephrologist at KATH and Associate Professor at the KNUST School of Medical Sciences, Prof Elliot Koranteng Tannor, Patience's kidneys are no longer functioning adequately. He explained that she developed an autoimmune condition called lupus, which subsequently affected her kidneys. Prof Tannor added that a kidney transplant offers the long-term solution to Patience's condition.
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has seen a significant increase in kidney-related cases over the past 10 years. At least 70 per cent of cases seen at KATH are in their end stages because patients report late. The renal dialysis centre sees at least 20 cases daily, with kidney failure caused by lupus being common among patients seeking care.
Although a donor is available for Patience's transplant, the cost of the surgery and related care is estimated at $100,000, an amount Patience and her family cannot afford. Patience is therefore appealing to the public for financial assistance to raise the funds needed for the transplant surgery and reclaim her life, particularly her dream of returning to the nursing profession.
Those who wish to donate to Patience's transplant fund can do so through MoMo Account: 0593038842 - Account Name: Daniel Biofio, or Bank Account: 02514278803503 UBA, Tema Branch (The Multimedia Foundation). Patience's story highlights the growing burden of kidney disease in Ghana and the need for financial assistance for patients who require life-saving treatments.
Key points
- A 28-year-old nurse in Ghana is appealing for $100,000 for a life-saving kidney transplant.
- The nurse, Patience Appau Owusu, has been battling kidney failure for four years and requires a transplant to survive.
- A donor is available, but the family cannot afford the estimated cost of $100,000 for the surgery and related care.
