In a true love story, a woman's life has been saved by her husband's kidney donation.
Maria Theresa Coronel, 37, underwent painful dialysis for six years, before her husband Frederick Valiente, 38, discovered he was the match she needed for the life-saving operation.
They have been married for nine years and have a son, five, and a daughter, seven.
Ms Coronel, from the Philippines, who works as a sales executive, developed pre-eclampsia when she was pregnant.
The condition can cause high blood pressure, protein in urine and can also affect the kidneys, which happened in Ms Coronel's case.
She received twice-weekly dialysis but a kidney transplant was the only permanent solution.
Dialysis treatment involves a tube being attached to the patient’s arm via a needle that extracts blood into a filtration machine, which replicates the job of a healthy, fully functioning kidney.
"I wanted my wife to be well," said Mr Valiente. "I couldn't bear to see her suffering and what dialysis was doing to her body."
As well as Mr Valiente, Ms Coronel's niece was checked for compatibility — but her husband was found to be a good match.
"There was no question about it," he said.
“I love my wife and would do anything for her. I’m glad I was able to help her in some way to bring our family back to normal life again by donating one of my kidneys.”
Ms Coronel said their love story started in the Philippines in 2010 and they moved together to UAE in 2015.
"He used to be my boyfriend many years ago and then I came to the UAE and we each went our own way," she said.
"Only when I started work I found out that he was working at the same place where I was and we picked it up from there and have been together since then.
"He is the love of my life. I had his heart and now I have his kidney."
The transplant took place at Burjeel Medical City in the capital on March 2.
“Maria’s family members were informed that a blood-group compatible donor from the family who wished to donate voluntarily could come for medical evaluation," said Dr Venkat Vellanki, director of transplant nephrology at Burjeel.
"Maria’s niece and husband volunteered for initial evaluation and her husband, who had a compatible blood group with her, was found to be a suitable match."
Transplant surgeon Dr Rehan Saif said: “Both surgeries took place simultaneously in a staggered fashion to keep the ischemia time — time that the kidney remains outside the body between removal and transplant — to a minimum."
He said the operation involved a "minimally invasive method", a kind of keyhole surgery using a 3D technology camera.
Doctors say the husband has been discharged and the wife is recovering well in the hospital.
Ms Coronel was moved out of the intensive care unit to the ward and will be able to go home in a couple of days.
UAE organ donation campaign - in pictures
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An organ donor awareness session at a park in Abu Dhabi in 2018. Doctors hope more understanding of the process will encourage the public to volunteer. Reem Mohammed/The National -
Medics speak at an organ donation awareness session in Abu Dhabi in 2018. Officials believe more publicity and more live-saving operations will encourage more to become donors. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dr Ali Al Obaidly, head of the UAE"s organ transplant committee, said said research has found that at least two-thirds of the public are open to donating an organ in the event of their death. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Ali Sukrallah received an organ from his daughter, extending his life for many years to come. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Hazem Abdel-Kader received a life-saving liver transplant in 2018. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Surgeons perform an organ transplant at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. Courtesy: SKMC
