For our #TransplantTuesday feature, we share the inspiring story of 23-year-old Phamela Mavundza from Acadia, Pretoria; alive today because a grieving family found the courage to say yes to organ donation, giving her the priceless gift of growing up.

1. Which organ did you receive, and in what year?
I received a kidney transplant in 2007 at the tender age of five.

2. How long were you on the waiting list for your organ?
I had to wait for four years.

3. What was life like before the transplant How did you spend your days?
At just one year old, both of my kidneys were removed (a bilateral nephrectomy), and I endured hemodialysis three times a week for four hours at a time while waiting for a donor. My family had to relocate to Johannesburg so I could receive in-centre dialysis. Because of my fragile health, I couldn’t attend school full-time and spent much of my childhood in hospital.

4. Describe the emotions experienced when you received “The Call” for your transplant? 
I was only five years old at the time, so I didn’t fully understand what it all meant. My parents were overjoyed yet anxious, a transplant is a huge operation, especially for such a small child. Still, it was an incredibly exciting moment, a true blessing and a second chance at life.

5. What is life like now, after the transplant?
Just four years after my transplant, I proudly represented South Africa at the World Transplant Games in Sweden, winning gold in the 100m sprint on my ninth birthday. Since then, I’ve been able to finish high school, pursue further studies, and reach the age of 23 with my transplanted kidney; a true blessing. Living 18 years with a transplanted kidney, almost double the average lifespan of about 10 years, is nothing short of extraordinary.

6. What advice would you give patients on the waiting list?
No matter how hard the journey, never give up, God walks with you every step of the way.

7. Why do you think there is a shortage of donors in South Africa?
I’ve seen that many people simply aren’t educated enough about organ donation, and fear plays a big role. It’s not that donors don’t exist it’s that people are scared. I’m alive today because one family found the courage to say yes to donation.

8. If you could describe transplant in one word, what would it be?
Blessing!