TEN months after undergoing a kidney transplant at the Georgetown Public Hospital, 16-year-old Abigail Mars is now gearing to write 14 Subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.The St. Joseph High School student said she is now majoring in both business and science subjects in her quest to become an entrepreneur. But reaching the age of 16 was not easy for Mars.

At the age of five, her parents realised that their once healthy baby was sick. The toddler had been experiencing facial swelling, mainly around the eyes.

Mars’ mother, Petal Grant, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said initially, doctors had indicated that her daughter was suffering from an allergy.

“I took her to the hospital, I took her to the clinic, and I was told that she had an allergy, a cold. They didn’t do any test to see the real cause, but they keeping giving me medication for her,” Grant recalled.

Grant said the medication had helped her daughter periodically, but the swelling often returned.

It took eight years before Mars was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

According to the National Kidney Foundation, Nephrotic Syndrome occurs when the filtering units of the kidney become damaged. This causes protein, which is normally kept in the plasma, to leak into the urine in large amounts, thereby reducing the amount of protein in the blood, and as a result causes facial swelling and swelling around the legs.

Two years into her treatment plan, Mars started experiencing kidney failure.

Upon realising the severity of the disease, Head of the Nephrology Department, Dr. Kishore Persaud, outlined the two primary options to Mars and her mother – dialysis or kidney transplant.

Without thinking twice, Mars’ mother opted for kidney transplant. “Dr. Kishore asked me if I am interested [in doing a kidney transplant] and I said right away, yes. I didn’t had [sic] a lot of knowledge on the dialysis, but from what the councillor explained to me about the machines, and having to go three times a week, I said no, she is too young,” Grant said.

However, in order to do a kidney transplant, Mars, who was 15-years-old at the time, needed a donor that was compatible.
“So he explained to me that we would have to get a donor. He asked about family, and I told him her father passed away. My daughter was 17 at that time, but he said she was too young. I said what about me. He said ok, we have to start doing tests to ensure that you are healthy.”

Grant had proven to be compatible and the transplant was conducted on December 10, 2015 approximately three months after she was admitted to the GPHC.

“I would encourage people, no matter what, they should keep holding on and keep positive because that is what kept me. A lot of times I use to feel down, like I just wanted to give up, but I always had a positive mind,” Mars told this newspaper.

Mars said she was comforted by the fact that her mother and other relatives and friends gave her the support she needed. The teen recalled that it was at the start of the new academic year that she was admitted to the GPHC in 2015, but managed to complete fourth form with the overwhelming support of her family, friends and teachers of the St. Joseph High School.

“After this surgery, I always had this desire in my heart to have my life story on film. I feel it would be an encouragement to kids like me, because it is very tough and I know it could be very hard; but keeping a positive mindset is also so important, and I want them to know that,” Mars said.

Already, she is an inspiration to 16-year-old Tomol Mingo and his family. Mingo, a student of Charlestown Secondary, was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in January of this year. “He woke up and I just saw a fatness in his eyes and I said what going on like you picking up side,” his mother Shaundell Fraser-Mingo recalled. It was not long before he was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome.

“The doctor said he is passing protein in his urine, blood in his urine, and it is Nephrotic Syndrome. Dr. France, the doctor at the time, described it as a disease which leads to kidney failure…I was shocked, I didn’t know what to do, but just sit and listen to the doctor,” she said.

Since then, Mingo has been undergoing both Peritoneal and Haemodialysis at the Dialysis Centre of the Nephrology Department (GPHC). The team at the centre, comprising Dr. Persaud, who is a transplant surgeon, a nephrologist, a pharmacist, a dietitian, a social worker, six nurses and several General Medical Officers (GMOs), have been preparing Mingo for a kidney transplant.

“I must congratulate Abigail Mars mother because every time we come to clinic, every two weeks, she was like, you know you can go through this, I think you can do it…don’t even think about anything else,” the teen mother said, even as she expressed gratitude to the medical team at the Dialysis Centre for their continuous support.

Tomol Mingo of Charlestown Secondary is one of those in line to receive a kidney transplant. He will receive one of his mother’s kidneys a year after he was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome.

“I feel ok because the surgery is much better than the dialysis, because going and coming can be really fatiguing. Sometimes late in the night you have to stay up, taking out fluids, putting in fluids, early in the morning, to do the surgery, would be much better and with the encouragement I feel like I can go through with the surgery,” Mingo told the Guyana Chronicle.

He said following his surgery, he will repeat Fourth Form and catch up on all the fun activities he is currently missing. “I plan to repeat a class, go back to fourth form and get the subjects and write my subjects. Since coming to hospital, and learning the tablets and learning certain things I plan to study medicine,” he said.

While the hospital is conducting the transplant free of charge, Mingo and his mother are required to do number of cross-matching tests. These tests are estimated to be more than $1M. As such, they are seeking financial assistance. Persons desirous of helping the teen can deposit cash in his parents’ Republic Bank Account #104-7141 or contact them on 692-8770 or 675-7152.

In February 2017, GPHC will be teaming up with the University of Calgary to conduct four to five kidney transplants – surgical procedures that would result in the patients receiving healthier kidneys from donors.

In addition to the transplants, Dr. Persaud said the university will train nurses and doctors at the Dialysis Centre to upgrade the level of Haemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis as part of a project to develop ‘Kidney Care’ in Guyana.

According to the Nephrology Department, to date 13 transplants have been conducted in Guyana, 10 privately and three by the public hospital. Of the three, only one patient has died. Abigail Mars is among the two survivors.

The number of persons on dialysis or waiting for a kidney transplant is expected to climb, but Dr Persaud believes that legislative changes could make a difference.

He suggested that laws governing kidney transplants and treatment of those who are brain-dead, could pave the way for the use of the kidneys of patients who are on life support with little or no chance of recovery.