UAE Helping Hands: Family cannot afford sister’s kidney transplant

Saadia Saleem, 35, urgently needs a kidney transplant but cannot afford the costs.

Saadia Saleem is suffering from kidney failure. Dialysis treatment is no longer enough to keep her alive and she needs a transplant. Pawan Singh / The National

ABU DHABI // Four years ago, doctors told Saadia Saleem both her kidneys had failed.

Today, despite dialysis treatment, her body is shutting down.

“I can’t do it any more,” said Saadia, 35, from Pakistan.

“I need your help.”

She urgently needs a kidney transplant but her family does not have the Dh100,000 that the operation costs.

Her sister Shakeela, 40, said the kidney failure diagnosis devastated the family.

Their father died a few months after Saadia learnt of her condition.

“He died from grief over his youngest daughter,” Shakeela said.

“We are all so upset over our sister.”

Saadia is bedridden, lying listless and in constant pain.

She received help from charities to pay for dialysis treatments, which cost about Dh600 a session, but her family are unable to raise enough for the transplant.

Saadia worked as a hairdresser but can no longer stand and is too weak to work.

Shakeela is appealing to the public to help her sister.

“A hospital in Pakistan is ready to do the operation and a donor is available,” Shakeela said.

“We are watching her waste away.

“She can’t eat anything and bleeds for weeks on end.

“Every few days we have to rush her to hospital because she collapses at home.”

Hisham Al Zahrani, manager of social services at Dar Al Ber Society, said it was necessary for Saadia to have the transplant as quickly as possible.

“We have assisted the family with the costs for dialysis but we need help to raise Dh100,000 for the operation,” said Mr Al Zahrani.

“This will make a huge difference to Saadia’s life and those of her family.”