Dionne’s Dialysis
Dionne Mountain suddenly felt weak one day, but she did not realise the extent of her sickness until she collapsed in the shower and had to be rushed to hospital. Dionne was shocked when she was told that she had end stage kidney failure.
Dionne needed dialysis immediately. “I had just finished Grade 12 and I had so many goals that I wanted to achieve in life. I was on dialysis for 3 years while my family was being tested for a suitable donor. When I received the news that I was getting a kidney from my dad who was the best match in my family, I had hope to live a normal life again”.
“In September 2007 we had the transplant. I regained my weight, my skin colour, my energy levels and my willingness to live. I started working again”, says Dionne
But tragedy struck again in August 2012, when Dionne became ill again and was admitted to hospital. She received devastating news that her kidney had stopped working and that she needed dialysis again.
Dionne works in the Accounts Department of a Cape Town hotel, and says “It was very emotional, not just for myself but for my family as well since I was the breadwinner and my family depended on my income. At the time, Groote Schuur Hospital could not accommodate me. I became hopeless. I didn’t have a medical aid and I didn’t have money to pay for my dialysis at a private hospital. It was the hardest time of my life, not knowing how I was going to survive without dialysis, and where my help is going to come from”.
But that all changed because of your kindness. On the last day that the State was able to dialyse Dionne, she was set to be discharged. As she faced her darkest moment, and almost certain death, Dionne’s life changed forever when her doctor told her that he had found a sponsor who was willing to pay for her dialysis.
In Dionne’s darkest hour, your support for Sultan Bahu Centre’s dialysis programme changed Dionne’s life and gave her hope.
Dionne says, “I knew that I was going to live and that I was not going to let dialysis keep me from following my dreams and persevering. I received a bursary from the Cape Kidney organization and I started my first year of studying”. She is a final year Hospitality Management student at the International Hotel School in Cape Town.
“I believed that the opportunity that I got from Sultan Bahu Centre’s Sabera’s Dialysis project was a blessing form God. I am so grateful to the staff of Sultan Bahu Centre for being with me and holding my hand throughout my journey towards healing,” says Dionne.
“I found that Sultan Bahu Centre is highly committed to helping desperate people who need dialysis. Thank you to God who blesses each and every one who contributes to the good work at Sultan Bahu Centre and the good people who donate to them. Without Sultan Bahu Centre, I would probably not be here today.”
“Last year my boyfriend offered to be my donor, he has undergone all the tests and is a suitable donor. We are looking forward to having the transplant in May of this year and if all goes well we will be getting married next year. I wish to open my own restaurant in the near future. It will be my chance then to give something back to Sultan Bahu Centre who has given me so much to live for.”
Your kindness and generosity has enabled Dionne to live a full and happy life. Your compassion for the sick has inspired Dionne to use her skills to give back to others through Sultan Bahu Centre. But there are many more people in dire need of dialysis, and we cannot do this without your support.
Please contribute a small monthly donation towards giving hope and life to someone like Dionne.
