Kidney Dialysis Foundation

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Love Gave Him Life

Mr Goh Tai Lim at the ripe old age of 82 years old is a jovial man who is often seen walking hand in hand with his wife to the dialysis centre near their home. After making sure that Mr Goh is in the safe hands of the nurses, Mrs Goh would make her way home to prepare dinner for her husband. Since entering into KDF’s haemodialysis program in 2006, Mr Goh has adjusted quite well to the treatment program. However, this was not the case in the past.

Back in 2003, Mr Goh started falling sick and did not have much strength to work at his hawker stall. He was ill and coughing constantly. To ease his work load, Mrs Goh would help him at the stall. Consultations with doctors could only help lessen the symptoms but could never totally eradicate it. This went on until 2005 when his condition took a turn for the worse. Worried, his children took him to the hospital.

After two weeks in the hospital undergoing numerous medical check ups, Mr Goh was diagnosed with kidney failure.

Mr Goh was initially reluctant to start dialysis as he was unwilling to burden his children. Being so close to 80 years old he has lived a long life and in forgoing dialysis, his family would not be saddled with the problem of paying the high medical expenses involved. It was not until his family conveyed their commitment to support him that he was able to adjust to the treatment. While talking about this, Mrs Goh’s eyes were filled with tears. She said “I know it would be difficult with all the expensive medicine and treatment but my children and I can’t bear to part with him.”

So, he started dialysis at a private centre in October 2005. Knowing that they would soon be unable to continue to afford the expensive cost of the dialysis treatment, Mr Goh’s family applied for KDF’s subsidized treatment program.

It has now been two years since Mr Goh first joined KDF and three years since he was first diagnosed with kidney failure. Without his family’s love and support for him, Mr Goh would not have made it to today. KDF is glad to be of help to Mr Goh and his family and in doing so, enable them to spend more time with each other.

There are still many more kidney patients, both young and old like Mr Goh out there that cannot afford the costly dialysis treatment. As KDF strives to fulfill its mission we need your help too. For more information on how you can help, please visit www.kdf.org.sg/help_001.aspx.

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