The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Couple has no doubt they are in life together r Continued from page 1 5 · Thursday, December 15, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com to the surgery, started shortly before this move when Malabar was pregnant with Arya. "At that time, we found out my kidneys weren't functioning as they should," she said. "We got through the pregnancy, had our daughter, and then they did a biopsy and found out I have a kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy." The disease was slowly shutting down Malabar's kidneys, which were functioning at about 50 per cent at the time she was diagnosed. Malabar said she had no symptoms warning her about her condition other than high blood pressure, which doctors had previously chalked up to familial history. "You couldn't tell that I was sick. When I look back, I can tell I was starting to get more and more tired as time went on, but because I was living my life I didn't think about it," she said. "I just thought I was getting old." As pregnancy puts a strain on kidneys, Malabar's kidney function deteriorated another 20 per cent by the time Arya was born. The situation soon got to the point where Malabar was faced with a choice: go on dialysis or get a kidney transplant. Neither option was attractive. Malabar was told the wait time for a kidney transplant was about eight years (from a deceased donor). She was also concerned about dialysis, fearing she would not be able to do her job at the same level and that it would make it difficult for her to have another child. In light of this, the doctors began testing Malabar's friends and family to see if any of them could serve as a living kidney donor. "By a miracle, my husband was a match," said Malabar. "I thought it was very complicated to come up with a match for a live donor and it is actually not that complicated. The match is just a blood type match, so if you have the same blood type you are a match. The rest of it is just a matter of being mentally and physically healthy enough for them to okay you to go through with the process." Other relatives actually did have the same blood type, but only Patel was determined to be healthy enough to undergo the procedure. "There was no hesitation. It was a no brainer. I was the best option, so I was like, `Alright, let's get going.'" Hitesh Patel, Oakville resident "There was no hesitation. It was a no brainer," said Patel. "I was the best option, so I was like, `Alright, lets get going.'" The surgery took place about one year later. By this time, Malabar was so tired she could barely get through her workday with Patel having to look after Arya mostly on his own. On the day of the surgery, Patel and Malabar had five minutes to wish each other a happy anniversary. "There's not really much to say," said Patel. "You're nervous for each other. There's that worry, but Jenn and I both knew what we wanted to do, we knew we were going through with this. It's emotional, we both stayed positive and said, `I'll see you after the surgery.'" su "I felt very grateful that I have su uch an amazing husband, but he knows that so I didn't need to tell k him," said Malabar. h "You know your partner very well, so o you don't need to say very much." Patel underwent surgery first. He noted that while waiting on the opern ating table he was asked if he was sure a he wanted to go through with the h transplant. t He was. Patel's surgery went well with his left kidney successfully removed. Then it was Malabar's turn. "It was like the longest day ever. I was just waiting and waiting for him to be done and for someone to (tell me) he was okay, he was out, everything was fine and then it was my turn," she said. "They told me he was fine, got me ready and wheeled me into the OR. I heard this banging noise and I look over and there is this guy with a chunk of ice and he's picking off these chunks of ice and there's another guy holding the bag with the kidney in it. Really weird...," she recalled. After Malabar's surgery was completed she said the effect was almost instantaneous with colour returning to her face. "I just felt amazing," she said. Patel said he also felt great after the surgery, having suffered no ill effects. Malabar called what her husband did an amazing gift and said their relationship is now even stronger. "When you marry someone you are always a team, but now we have really done something that says we're in this life together and we are moving forward together as a team," she said. "It has really bonded us as a couple. It's just an incredible thing for him to have done." Patel said the experience has him thinking about the importance of f organ donation and the importance of people signing their organ donor cards and discussing their wishes with their families. "Look what this has done for us and what it can do for other people." It makes a huge difference," he said. "One person can donate up to eight body parts and that can potentially save eight different people. By signing that card I'm doing my part to help people who really need it. " IS NOW SELLING DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC LEISURE LEI LE L EIS SU S URE UR E INDUSTRIES IN IND NDUSTRIES N ND DUS DUST STRIE ST TRIES RI IES ES FACTORY FA ACT CTO C TOR TO ORY OUTLET OUT OUT TLET TL LET WHY PAY HIGH RETAIL PRICES BUY FACTORY DIRECT! COMPLETE LINE OF SOLID WOOD FURNITURE SOLID SO S O OL LI L ID HARDWOOD HA H A ARD R WO RD WOOD OD SLATE SLATE SL TE POOL POOL PO OL TABLES TABL TA BLES S BARS FACTORY AUTHORIZED SALE! SAVE NOW ON 25 WOOD STAINS OCCASIONAL TABLES 25 WOOD STAINS $2999 $ $ RETAIL T $ 999 $599Non-Slate RETAIL T $1299 RETAIL T $ 799 FROM PLASMA STANDS T 6' POOL TABLE FOOSBALL ALL COLLECTIONS PUB TABLE BEDROOM SUITES 399 599 $ AIR HOCKEY EDENPURE INFRARED HEATER A $299 $ 199 FROM BAR STOOLS 399 $179 RETAIL T $ 99 504 IROQUOIS SHORE RD., UNIT #1, OAKVILLE FURNITURE & HOME DECOR 905-844-3530 · www w.swissinteriors.com 217 21 7 Lakeshor re Rd. E., Downtown Oakville FACTORY DIRECT *Limited Time Offer f r, No Dealers Please, Quantities Limited. 905.815.5252 www.leisureindustries.ca