Dominique Brand remembers foundation phase at primary school as a time of chronic exhaustion and hospital visits due to a genetic condition that causes lung and liver damage, resulting in a chronic cough and shortness of breath.
Brand was only 10 years old, diagnosed with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, when she had her liver transplant at Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town in November 1993 — surgery that changed her life.
“I remember waking up in ICU after the transplant, having so much energy ... from being tired all the time to feeling this instant energy. It was the best feeling. The transplant was the coming together of a good omen because I was in hospital ... I needed to be put on antibiotics for an infection when a liver became available.
“This was the third time I was offered a liver. The previous two times I couldn’t have the transplant as I had infections, which I got often.”
Fast-forward to 2023, the now 39-year-old avid hiker and monitoring and evaluation consultant from Oranjezicht in Cape Town will not only celebrate 30 years of life after the transplant, but jet off to Europe this month to take part in the gruelling Tour du Mont Blanc.
The 170km hike is a famous trekking adventure spanning three countries: Switzerland, Italy and France.
Brand is one of thousands of transplant recipients in the Western Cape whose life was transformed at public sector hospitals in the province. Over the past decade the provincial health department says it has performed almost 700 life-saving organ transplants at its three tertiary facilities — Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children’s hospitals. They include heart, kidney, cornea and liver transplants.
August is known as organ awareness month. With advances in surgical techniques and improved medicine to prevent infection and rejection, organ transplants are now recognised as an effective treatment for many diseases.
Brand, who obtained her PhD in disability studies at the University of Cape Town in December, considers herself lucky to have received the surgery.
“The liver transplant changed my life. Today I lead a normal life and do the things I love and enjoy because of organ transplantation. I feel healthy, especially after I decided to lead a more active lifestyle.
“I started by doing the parkrun in 2018 and June 2019 I did my first 21km in Knysna ... a journey that saw me losing 20kg. I enjoy maintaining my health and what I can do with my healthy body which for me has come a bit later in life,” she said.
Dr Tinus du Toit, general surgeon at Groote Schuur Hospital, who has participated in about 400 kidney transplants and 100 liver transplants, said often the patients in most desperate need of a transplant, and who suffered complications, “stay imprinted in our minds and drive us to understand more, do more and do it better”.
“Every transplant recipient’s story is unique, and if you allow yourself to be immersed in the details it can be an extremely rewarding path to walk with them. When confronted with the challenges patients face on a day-to-day basis, one can’t help but feel humbled by the opportunity to have a positive impact as a team.”
Executive head of surgery at Tygerberg Hospital Prof Elmin Steyn, who has performed more than 1,000 transplant operations locally and internationally over 35 years, said several transplant patients stayed in touch with him.
“It has been heart-warming to keep track of their progress. When they get married, have babies or graduate and achieve their ideals, I am happy for them. Being a transplant surgeon is a huge privilege as we do surgery that changes people’s lives for the better. The limiting factor is finding those precious ‘spare parts’ that are desperately needed.”
Red Cross Children’s Hospital patient Aloshay Arendse from Kraaifontein considers herself fortunate and is ready to start her new life after double organ transplant surgery.
After being sick for some time, in January the 14-year-old received a combined liver and kidney transplant.
Her mother, Candice Arendse, said the teen had her first liver transplant at the age of about 18 months. After 12 years she became sickly and her transplanted liver was no longer at full function. She was placed back on the transplant list.
Aloshay had this to say to the donor’s family: “Thank you for giving me another chance at life. And to the hospital staff, thank you for saving my life again.”
Paediatric surgeon Thozama Siyotula said watching children regain their full ability and doing daily activities give hope.
“The new organs allow them to fully engage with the world in a way they are meant to as children. Children are resilient ... this creates a passion for me to advocate for their health care.”
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