Hope for a new kidney

Among the many roles she assumes in her everyday life—a daughter, a sister, a friend, among others—it is being a mother to her 4-year-old son Ethan that brings our dearest friend Alessandra “Lessu” Quimsing incomparable joy. Ethan is the center of her universe. He is her constant source of hope. His welfare is her primary motivation.

From since Ethan was born, Lessu selflessly loved her little boy. She nursed him, nurtured him, and treasured him. Lessu was every inch a picture of joy during Ethan’s significant moments—when he first smiled, when he first learned how to walk, when he first called her “Mama”.

Lessu, however, may not be able to witness Ethan’s other milestones. She was diagnosed with Stage 5/End-stage Renal Failure or Chronic Kidney Disease secondary to Glomerulonephritis in 2013. She has also developed severe heart failure.

Her condition was discovered when she underwent ultrasound when she was pregnant with Ethan. The doctor saw that her right kidney was significantly smaller than her left. After laboratory tests, it was revealed that her creatinine was beyond the normal level. A nuclear scan also confirmed her kidney’s exact size; and its percentage function has decreased.

Lessu currently undergoes hemodialysis twice a week. Due to her condition, she stopped working in 2015 to give way to her dialysis sessions. The expenses for her weekly dialysis, maintenance medication and injections are very expensive, she shared.

To better her condition, her nephrologist highly recommended that Lessu undergoes kidney transplant. Her prolonged hemodialysis sessions will greatly affect her other organs, especially her heart, the doctor said.

To date, Lessu’s family has found a donor, who still needs to undergo tissue-matching to confirm if his kidney is the “perfect match” for her, since they are not related by blood.

The plans, however, are put on hold because the kidney transplant operation costs millions of pesos. In addition, the tissue-matching procedure costs P 50,000, plus the separate payment for the non-relative donor. Lessu admits that aside from her weekly expenses in hemodialysis and medication, she cannot afford the kidney transplant.

That is why we knock on your generous hearts to help us raise funds for Lessu’s kidney transplant. Any amount you could extend will be a huge contribution for her operation. More than anything else, she will greatly appreciate if you could include her in your daily prayers as she goes through this deepest and most difficult state.

We have known Lessu since her days at the Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus and at the Saint Paul College of Iloilo. She was this shy, soft-spoken, thin, and frail classmate. But she has, nevertheless, always been emotionally strong.

There may be times that her present condition has taken its toll on her core, and drains her finances, but Lessu has even gotten stronger because she has Ethan to motivate her to fight.

Thank you for reading Lessu’s story. Thank you for your generosity. Above all, thank you for including her in your prayers. And please share her story as we will continuously do so we can help her raise funds for her kidney transplant.