Howick police officer donates kidney
Howick Senior Sergeant David Laumatia had to lose weight before he could donate a life-saving kidney to his brother.
A Howick cop is about to fulfil what might be the biggest promise he will ever make – he is about to donate one of his kidneys to his brother.
Senior Sergeant David Laumatia made the offer on his older brother Allan’s 50th birthday in April.
“I read a poem to him, promising that if I could get fit enough I would be a donor,” the 47-year-old says.
“My love for him is greater than my fear of something going wrong in the operation.”
Allan, 50, has struggled with diabetes and deteriorating health for many years.
He was diagnosed with renal failure and eventually started gruelling dialysis sessions while he waited for a transplant.
David, who has been in the police for 28 years, had tests done six years ago to see if he was eligible to be a donor but was ruled unsuitable because of his weight.
The idea was forgotten until this year’s birthday pledge was made.
David reached his ideal body weight before going through a barrage of tests.
The transplant was scheduled for August but was halted a couple of days prior when a routine MRI scan indicated complications.
“It was devastating,” David says.
“We were all excited, the whole family were super-excited and then to find out something came up and may not go ahead all together was devastating.
“So for us to be in this position now is just amazing.”
Allan has been hooked up to a dialysis machine for six hours every second day for the past eight years.
“The whole process takes six to seven hours. And I had to balance that out with fulltime work,” the Chorus business analyst says.
“I had to do it. If I didn’t dialyse, I wouldn’t survive.
“This machine has kept me alive.”
The surgery is now scheduled at Auckland Hospital this week and the father of two is looking forward to being free of machines and full of energy.
“I am blessed that Dave has offered his kidney. I’ve got no words as far as the commitment he has made. He’s making a big sacrifice and I love him dearly for that,” Allan says.
The brothers have had a number of counselling sessions with health professionals to prepare them for the surgery, the recovery process and what can happen in the months that follow.
Allan must take medication for the rest of his life to ensure his body does not reject the donated kidney and he will return to work within six weeks.
David will spend a few days in hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
There is one thing Allan is really looking forward to after surgery.
“Just having that quality of life back and spending time with my family.”
David says the experience has been life-changing and encourages everyone to consider becoming an organ donor.
“It will absolutely transform their lives, something we take for granted.”
