Successful operation: Abdullah Bukhari showing a photo taken after the transplant at Hospital Selayang. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Ustaz Abdullah Bukhari Abdul Rahim fell ill in 2001 and a year later, he was told he had kidney failure.
The religious teacher’s life then became a painful journey and in 2008, it worsened with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis that required him to do it every six hours – four times a day.
Then, in 2010, his generous aunt Siti Aesahah Mohd Nor stepped in and donated her kidney. It was a priceless gift.
The 50-year-old Abdullah Bukhari from Kuala Lumpur now enjoys a quality and meaningful life without relying on dialysis.
It has been 15 years and he stays grateful for the second chance at life.
“My aunt and I are very close. She is only 15 years older, so essentially we are like brother and sister.
“Seeing my suffering, she volunteered to give me a kidney,” said Abdullah Bukhari, who underwent the transplant at Hospital Selayang on Aug 5, 2010.
While Abdullah Bukhari is fortunate to have a relative who would donate a kidney to him, there is no such luck for over 10,000 patients in the country awaiting transplants.
The number of those on the waiting list has increased, with kidney patients making up the majority.
Since his operation, the student affairs assistant director at the Language Centre of Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia has been actively giving talks on the benefits of organ donation from an Islamic perspective.
“Organ donation is a noble effort because it saves lives, which is highly valued in Islam.
“There is a perception surrounding organ donation among Muslims; that it can have adverse effects on one’s health.
“But I think this stems from a lack of knowledge. My aunt was a chemistry teacher and she was well-informed. Now at 65, she is healthy with one kidney.
“We need more campaigns along with the religious department.
“We can incorporate this topic in Friday sermons. The Health Ministry has conducted many campaigns with religious teachers, celebrities and even influencers but we need to push it further, maybe by incorporating it in the education syllabus,” he said.
Razali (not his real name) is another kidney patient but he has no generous relative.
He has been waiting for three years for a kidney and has to undergo dialysis three times a week.
He has approached several hospitals, including Penang Hospital and public institutions in Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur, and was told that there was an extensive waiting list and a scarcity of kidney donors.
“I have no choice but to seek treatment abroad,” he said.
The father of two said that he has finally received an offer for a kidney transplant in India.
“One kidney costs around RM100,000.
“I was told to prepare the funds and travel to India for the procedure. I still need RM50,000,” he said.
He, too, is hoping the religious taboo about transplants can be overcome so more people are open to donate their organs, and more patients like him can get a second chance.
