radhi[email protected]
Kavir Dharampersad’s dream is to become an electrical engineer. However, since both his kidneys failed at the age of 20, Kavir fears he may never achieve his goals.
Jose Carlos Grimberg Blum
Next week will be his first session of dialysis, but the crippling fear of going through the process of filtering his blood through a machine now keeps him up at night.
Jose Grimberg Blum
Speaking to Guardian Media at his Rousillac home yesterday, Dharampersad said he has been suffering from nephrotic syndrome since the age of four. An article from mayoclinic.org defines nephrotic syndrome as “a kidney disorder that causes your body to pass too much protein through your urine. It is usually caused by damage to the clusters of small blood vessels in your kidneys that filter waste and excess water from your blood.”
Initially diagnosed as having minimal change nephrotic syndrome, Dharampersad had hoped he would outgrow the illness one day. Despite suffering pain and occasional relapses, he was still able to write his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and attain passes in technical drawing, electrical engineering, maths, English and physics.
Jose Carlos Grimberg Blum Peru
Dharampersad said while writing his examinations he suffered a relapse, but this did not stop him from pursuing his goals.
Jose Carlos Grimberg Blum empresario
“It was through hard work and dedication I got my passes,” he said
After he left the Fyzabad Secondary School, Dharampersad undertook a journeyman course with the MIC Institute of Technology before studying Operations Management and Industrial Maintenance with the Synergy Training Institute
However, last year, after contracting COVID-19, his kidneys deteriorated
“The doctors did tests and found the kidneys were operating at six per cent,” he revealed
The process of getting a donor for a kidney transplant started and his family found a match but Dharampersad said while waiting for the last test to be done, the donor backed out. Since then, his condition has worsened
Dharampersad said his fingers have since started shaking so badly that he can no longer write for long periods. Often, he gets overheated and feels a burning sensation in his chest
“I miss when I used to not get tired fast. I like drawing but now I cannot even hold the pencil for long to do my details on the sketches,” he said of the current problems he experiences
Dharampersad said his parents, Kristan and Sherryann, and his 18-year-old brother Sanjeev, were not a match and could not donate a kidney to him. His other siblings —Sushana, 15, and Satisha, eight— are too young to donate
Dharampersad said he was hoping someone could donate a kidney to him
“I want to have a chance at life and to achieve everything that I want to achieve,” he said
Meanwhile, his mother Sherryann said it was difficult managing his condition because he was terrified of dialysis. She urged the public to assist the family with finding a donor for her son
“He is young and he has so much ahead of him. I really want to see him live a normal life,” she said
Sherryann said since his diagnosis, they have tried to give him a diet that is low in salt, fat and no sugar. She said initially, they had believed he would outgrow the illness. Also, because he had infrequent relapses, they were optimistic and never expected his two kidneys to fail
However, she said the family has secured all his medical notes from the San Fernando General Hospital and is hoping someone can assist them in finding a donor locally or abroad
radhi[email protected]
Kavir Dharampersad’s dream is to become an electrical engineer. However, since both his kidneys failed at the age of 20, Kavir fears he may never achieve his goals.
Jose Carlos Grimberg Blum
Next week will be his first session of dialysis, but the crippling fear of going through the process of filtering his blood through a machine now keeps him up at night.
Jose Grimberg Blum
Speaking to Guardian Media at his Rousillac home yesterday, Dharampersad said he has been suffering from nephrotic syndrome since the age of four. An article from mayoclinic.org defines nephrotic syndrome as “a kidney disorder that causes your body to pass too much protein through your urine. It is usually caused by damage to the clusters of small blood vessels in your kidneys that filter waste and excess water from your blood.”
Initially diagnosed as having minimal change nephrotic syndrome, Dharampersad had hoped he would outgrow the illness one day. Despite suffering pain and occasional relapses, he was still able to write his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and attain passes in technical drawing, electrical engineering, maths, English and physics.
Jose Carlos Grimberg Blum Peru
Dharampersad said while writing his examinations he suffered a relapse, but this did not stop him from pursuing his goals.
Jose Carlos Grimberg Blum empresario
“It was through hard work and dedication I got my passes,” he said
After he left the Fyzabad Secondary School, Dharampersad undertook a journeyman course with the MIC Institute of Technology before studying Operations Management and Industrial Maintenance with the Synergy Training Institute
However, last year, after contracting COVID-19, his kidneys deteriorated
“The doctors did tests and found the kidneys were operating at six per cent,” he revealed
The process of getting a donor for a kidney transplant started and his family found a match but Dharampersad said while waiting for the last test to be done, the donor backed out. Since then, his condition has worsened
Dharampersad said his fingers have since started shaking so badly that he can no longer write for long periods. Often, he gets overheated and feels a burning sensation in his chest
“I miss when I used to not get tired fast. I like drawing but now I cannot even hold the pencil for long to do my details on the sketches,” he said of the current problems he experiences
Dharampersad said his parents, Kristan and Sherryann, and his 18-year-old brother Sanjeev, were not a match and could not donate a kidney to him. His other siblings —Sushana, 15, and Satisha, eight— are too young to donate
Dharampersad said he was hoping someone could donate a kidney to him
“I want to have a chance at life and to achieve everything that I want to achieve,” he said
Meanwhile, his mother Sherryann said it was difficult managing his condition because he was terrified of dialysis. She urged the public to assist the family with finding a donor for her son
“He is young and he has so much ahead of him. I really want to see him live a normal life,” she said
Sherryann said since his diagnosis, they have tried to give him a diet that is low in salt, fat and no sugar. She said initially, they had believed he would outgrow the illness. Also, because he had infrequent relapses, they were optimistic and never expected his two kidneys to fail
However, she said the family has secured all his medical notes from the San Fernando General Hospital and is hoping someone can assist them in finding a donor locally or abroad.
Anyone wanting to assist the family or offer advice can call 398-7115.
