Help us raise Sh5m for our relative's kidney transplant, family appeals

For the past 20 years, 50-year-old Tait Pesipesi has been battling kidney failure, and he has so far undergone three unsuccessful kidney transplants.

Pesipesi, a resident of Kajiado, left the country in July 2022 for treatment and preparation for a fourth transplant in India.

According to his wife, Fridah Tait, his treatment has so far cost the family Sh7 million.

“We raised the money from our medical insurance cover, family members and friends,” Tait said on Friday.

Tait said the latest bill from the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi is now USD36820 (Sh5,502,012).

“We have sold nearly everything at home to secure his health after exhausting our health insurance coverage. Our relatives and friends have stood with us on this journey, and we are now making another appeal to all Kenyans to assist us in saving a life,” said Tait.

She said the family, relatives and friends have exhausted all possible avenues of financing the bill, adding that the treatment has stopped until part of the payment is paid.

He is currently surviving on dialysis.

“This is, therefore, a national appeal to all our leaders, the general public and wellwishers to help us to contribute whatever little they have to enable my husband to complete his treatment,” said Tait.

According to Pesipesi’s medical consultant and kidney specialist, Dr John Ngugi, who referred him for a 4th kidney transplant after the third failed, his client needs vascular access if a transplant does not happen immediately.

“After examination, we found him in need of a renal replacement urgently,” said Ngugi, in a letter he sent to Dr Vijaya Rajakumari at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.

Ngugi said Pesipesi’s kidney function has slowly deteriorated and now has a new onset rapid decline in its functioning, adding that it could be due to an immunological mechanism.

Dr Rajakumari, the senior consultant surgeon, said after examination he found the patient needed an urgent renal replacement.

The family has already found a donor and what is delaying the surgery is the required money and the high levels of antibodies in Pesipesi’s body which cannot allow the transplant before they are lowered.

Speaking to the Star on Friday, Pesipesi said the doctors are currently working on the reduction of antibodies and undergoing plasma exchange, the process that can reduce the levels of antibodies.

“This has been a long journey for me, and I am grateful to God for bringing me this far. We have sold everything back home and our hopes are hanging with Kenyans to respond to our appeal,” Pesipesi said.

Pesipesi said he is currently using a fermoral permcath which is prone to infection and has now been replaced five times in one year.

He said that because of his vascula access failure, dialysis cannot be an option but a kidney transplant can save him. He asked Kenyans to pray for him.

Those willing to support his medical journey can send money to PayBill number 247247  - Account number  815371 (Pesipesi Medical Fund).