75-year-old grandma is Singapore's oldest living organ donor

75-year-old grandma is Singapore's oldest living organ donor
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 14 October 2009 2108 hrs

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75-year-old grandma is Singapore's oldest living organ donor

SINGAPORE: A 75-year-old grandmother has become Singapore's oldest living organ donor. Madam Chee Leng Yin donated one of her kidneys to save her seriously-ill daughter.

They say nothing is stronger than the bond between a mother and her daughter.

When Madam Chee found out that she could save her daughter's life by donating a kidney to her, she did not think twice.

She said: "It's my kidney, it's my daughter, who can stop me? Once I've decided, no one can stop me."

46-year-old Shirley Lau suffered from end-stage kidney failure and needed a kidney transplant to lead a normal life. Even so, she had reservations about her mother's sacrifice.

She said: "The feeling is quite complicated because in a way I'm worried, but in a way it is a solution for me. They (the doctors) went through a lot of tests. So based on that fact, we were more assured."

Months after the surgery at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) in July, both mother and daughter are doing well.

Doctors say being too old to donate is a common misconception about organ donation. Evidence suggests that older healthy donors are not at a higher risk of surgical complications compared to younger donors.

So more older living donors above the age of 60 could be considered for surgery, if they are found to be mentally and psychologically suitable.

Doctors say that on average, the age difference between an older living donor and the recipient should be 10 to 20 years. But in Madam Chee and Shirley's case, their age difference of nearly 30 years is an exception.

Dr Terence Kee, a consultant at SGH's Department of Renal Medicine, said: "There was special consideration, based on the fact that Shirley's mum's kidney function is far beyond average expectation and also the fact that Shirley is a much smaller person who would benefit from receiving her mother's kidney, which is ... bigger in size."

Studies have shown that the survival rate of up to five years is the same for all patients who receive kidneys from living donors, irrespective of whether the donors are young or old. In contrast, kidney patients who are on dialysis have a lower survival rate.

About 1,000 people in Singapore suffer from kidney failure every year. At present, over 500 people are on the waiting list for a kidney.

SGH carried out 10 living kidney transplants last year.

- CNA/ir

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