Wife’s kidney donation frees husband from years of illness: ‘I don’t want him to spend his life on a dialysis machine’, Singapore News

The couple subsequently underwent a kidney transplant at Singapore General Hospital in October last year, after medical assessments confirmed that they were a suitable match. 

Simei’s husband, Lin Zewei, 43, told the Chinese daily that he was diagnosed with kidney disease as a teenager, with his kidney function deteriorating rapidly towards the end of 2023 before he began dialysis in 2024.

Recalling the challenges of treatment, he said he often had to leave work early to attend dialysis sessions, which typically ended at about 9pm.

“I was tired and hungry, and I couldn’t see my child,” he said. 

Transplant allows father of two to resume family life

A year after the transplant, Zewei said he had been able to resume his daily routine and spend more time with the couple’s two young children. 

The couple also received financial assistance through the National Kidney Foundation’s Living Kidney Donation Assistance Fund and government subsidies, including coverage under MediShield Life, which helped ease the financial burden of treatment.

Reflecting on the decision to donate her kidney, Simei said she had considered the risks as both a mother and a wife.

“Once we decided not to speculate about what would happen in the future, the choices we had in the present became incredibly clear,” she said.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com