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According to Ms Donkor, her son had literally fought with end-stage renal disease (kidney failure) for over 10 years and so on that night when he had an episode, she was
hoping that he would be treated at the hospital and discharged.

Black Valentine’s Day
In an interview in Accra with Ms Donkor last Thursday, she said two weeks before her son died, his blood and sugar levels were low — a common symptom with people on dialysis.
“It is difficult getting blood for him due to the scarcity of the B positive blood type at the blood bank. Luckily, he was transfused with the first two out of the six units prescribed on Sunday, February 13. The Blood Bank found two more that matched his so we were to go to the hospital on Tuesday, February 15 for another transfusion.”
Ms Donkor explained that throughout the day, although Richard was in bed because he felt dizzy, he was in high spirits and called almost everyone at home to his bedside to interact with them.
She said he started complaining of breathlessness at about 10p.m. She quickly called for help and rushed him to the Emergency Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
“When we arrived at the hospital, they picked his blood sample to run some tests. I realised the blood was black and he lay lifeless on the bed. We were asked to leave the room only to be informed minutes later that he had died.
“I have been told not to mourn because this is the first time I have lost a child. It has not been easy but God knows best. Richard was always in good spirits. Even on very bad days, he shared jokes. So I guess I have to be strong…just like him,” she said.

Years of struggle
Richard was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease at age 14. His mother recounted that he was rushed to the Amasaman Government Hospital in 2011 after he collapsed at dinner one evening.
He was discharged after treatment and continued his daily routine until he collapsed again two weeks after the initial incident and was rushed to the same facility where he had earlier received treatment.
This time, doctors referred him to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra for further analysis and treatment.
“His condition worsened; he went into coma and results from tests confirmed both his kidneys were damaged and so he had to be put on dialysis to survive,” Ms Donkor told The Mirror in May, 2019 when she first shared their journey.
Richard’s diagnosis completely changed Ms Donkor’s life, as the Renal Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital became their new home.
Three times a week, they had to be at the unit for dialysis. On these days, they set off at dawn and waited for their turn; which sometimes meant staying till the next dawn due to the constant queue at the unit. These visits excluded days of emergencies, changing catheters and fistulas and running around for blood, medications or labs.

Flashback: Richard on dialysis in 2019

Ms Donkor and her son had become “family members” of the Renal Unit and there was no doctor, nurse, technician, orderly, security person or hawker who didn’t know them.
Ms Donkor said trips to the hospital came with huge financial challenges, and therefore, she had to stop working to attend to her ailing son. She ended up depending on the benevolence of her family, church members, old students of Accra Academy (where Richard had his secondary school education) and other individuals and organisations.

Failed Kidney transplant
In 2014, Ms Donkor who was prepared to do everything to make her son survive, donated one of her kidneys to him but the procedure was unsuccessful, leaving her son with no option but to be on dialysis, and her with a kidney and a scar she is proud of.
Prior to the failed transplant, she was advised it was the best treatment option for people with kidney failure as it increased the chances of living a longer, healthier life. Fortunately, a test revealed that she had the same blood type as her son, and so if she was able to raise the cost for the surgery (GH¢ 60,000 then) she could donate one of her kidneys to her son.
“I was prepared to go to any length to save my child, I remember when I decided I would give him my kidney, many friends and relatives discouraged me because they thought I could lose my life in the process.”
Unfortunately, after one of her kidneys was transferred to her son, it could not function properly.
In 2019, when The Mirror eulogised Ms Donkor in our Mother’s Day publication, the Head of the Renal Unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Vincent Boima, was full of praise for Ms Donkor, and described her as a woman who was very passionate about her son.
On why the transplant failed, he said though he was out of the country at the time of the surgery, he was informed that his body rejected the kidney right after the procedure as blood could not flow properly to the kidney.
He explained that a number of factors could result in a healthy kidney failing after a transplant.
Ms Donkor said she was in the recovery ward for three days after the surgery when doctors broke the news of the failure to her.
“I was devastated! We had spent so much and gone through a lot of difficult times to get to this stage and just when we thought our problems were coming to an end, this happened.”

Optimism
Richard had suffered many mishaps, including being knocked down by a hit and run driver which resulted in fractures in his legs in 2017.He was admitted at the accident centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for six weeks and during that period, had to be wheeled thrice a week to the Renal Unit for dialysis.
Throughout difficult moments, he never lost his sense of humour and optimism; he believed that he could get another chance for a transplant – this time out of Ghana and pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. After completing senior high school, his condition slowed his pace of education but he was able to complete a basic course in Flight Dispatch at the Ghana Civil Aviation Academy.
Ms Donkor hopes to start petty trading after his burial and final funeral rites scheduled for March 26.
“I have to pay attention to my health as I’m living with just one kidney, the past decade has been tough, hopefully I will settle on something which won’t demand a lot of energy and moving about,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the Graphic Communications Group Limited for leading an appeal for funds for Richard in 2014, Old Students of Accra Academy, First Sky Group, a construction firm that subsidises cost of dialysis at the renal unit, the team at the unit and other donors for their support throughout the journey.

Writer’s mail:efiaamoakoa2@gmail.com

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