Beloved donkey from the Moot’s owner, will soon receive her third kidney transplant
"I literally had to fight for my life, because the doctors did not think I would survive this setback. It was a matter of life and death."
The owner of a beloved donkey, who greeted visitors with a smile at a local restaurant, Japie se Plekkie in the Moot, Vianda Snyman (37), is ready for her third kidney transplant.
Snyman was forced to find another home for the four-legged animal with the big ears, Japie, for a while with the fact that she has had to go for dialysis three times a week.
She received her first kidney transplant at the age of 24, but it only lasted five years after her body rejected the organ.
At the age of 21, she lost both her kidneys due to a hereditary disease.
After five years, her brother, Ryno Potgieter donated his kidney to her, but due to complications, the doctors had to remove the kidney immediately after about three days.
“I had to fight for my life, because the doctors did not think I would survive this setback. It was a matter of life and death.
“Those who know me see me as God’s miracle and I firmly believe that He plans great things for me in the future,” she said.
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The 37-year-old has been on dialysis for about nine years. She mentioned that every day poses a new challenge.
A friend, Yolande van Graan, immediately underwent the necessary tests in the hope that she would be a suitable candidate.
Van Graan called her and told her that she had received a message from God to donate her kidney to Snyman.
“We did not even know what blood type she is. The whole process started just before the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 and, finally, after two years we could set a date for the operation.”
Although the transplant is a high-risk operation due to her previous setbacks, Snyman said it is a win-win situation for her at this stage.
“The dialysis affected my heart so much that I have no other choice but to undergo the operation.
“I always say, if it is God’s will, I get a second chance at life, but if it is not what He has planned for me, I know where I will go.”
Unfortunately, no visitors are allowed during her operation.
“The operation can take between four and eight hours, depending on how my body reacts to the kidney.”
However, her mother, Truida Pieterse and longtime friend, Charmaine Blignaut are going to pack a picnic basket and wait for her outside in the parking lot.
Snyman will undergo her kidney transplant at Jakaranda hospital on February 18.
The first item that Snyman will snack on as soon as she is back on her feet, is an avocado.
“The recovery process will take about three months.
“I do not know another life.
“I can never plan a holiday because everything has to be planned around my dialysis. When I go for a break-away, I have to plan everything ahead of time and make sure that there are hospitals in that area that can do the procedure.”
Bringing Japie back home is also on her priority list.
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