SHE was 11 when her baby brother was born and she was besotted with him from the start, spending as much time with the chubby, curly-haired little boy as she could.
Chervon Meyer loved him so much she’d do anything for him – but she couldn’t have imagined he’d be the one saving her life years later by literally giving her a part of himself.
Theirs is a tale of faith, hope and love – but it’s also about the wonder of medical science and the power of never giving up.
Chervon (35) is healthy today because her brother, Joshua (24), donated a kidney to her. What makes it even more remarkable is the siblings have different blood types, which often spells rejection for a transplanted organ. But thanks to a revolutionary procedure performed for the first time in Africa, Chervon has a functioning kidney and a whole new lease on life.
It’s been a month since the transplant was performed at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital and Chervon, a mom of two, is relaxing on the couch in her mom Carol’s home in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain.
Brother and sister share a close bond which is why, when Chervon approached her family about testing as possible kidney donors, Joshua immediately agreed.
However, the odds seemed stacked against them. Joshua was a tissue match for his sister but their blood groups were different. Then the pandemic struck and any possibility of a transplant became a distant dream.
Chervon was on dialysis three days a week for years and her family could do nothing but look on helplessly.
This story is from the 30 March 2023 edition of YOU South Africa.
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This story is from the 30 March 2023 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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