News

Costly dialysis or kidney transplant for mom

Christine Curtis - francine black

CHRISTINE CURTIS, A mother of four, is seeking the public's assistance to do a life-saving surgery to replace or improve the performance of her kidneys.

Curtis was diagnosed with kidney failure last month and since then has been undergoing urgent treatment to keep her alive.

However, although she is now receiving kidney dialysis, she needs to have a Kemo dialysis or a kidney transplant as a more permanent solution to the problem.

"Both my kidneys are 80 per cent bad and the doctors say I need to have dialysis or a kidney transplant or I will eventually die,' she said.

Since the diagnosis, she said her weekly treatment has been quite expensive costing roughly $22,000 per week. Melonia Waugh, pastor of the Golden River, Above Rocks Church of God of Prophecy has been raising funds to pay for the treatment, however that is not enough. "We need about $ 30,000 to have the final dialysis treatment done," Pastor Waugh told THE STAR.

A brother's love

Her brother has also offered one of his kidneys, and according to Curtis they also need money to have it tested to determine whether the surgery can be done. She says if they decide to do the surgery it will cost even more, reaching about $600,000.

Curtis' doctor at the Kingston Public hospital, Moran Kilamurphy, said a transplant would be best under the circumstances. He too said that Curtis urgently needed to have the dialysis or the transplant because her kidneys were in bad condition and getting even worse.

A bank account has been opened to receive contributions towards Curtis' surgery. The account had been opened at the Bank of Nova Scotia and the number is 913118. Persons can also contact Pastor Waugh at 429-5301.