handoutWhen Tendai Chisambara was told that she needed to undergo dialysis for her chronic kidney disease, she was also told that it would be virtually impossible for her to become pregnant while undergoing treatment.
According to a recent study, in the six years from 2008 to 2014, only 584 women around the world successfully gave birth while undergoing dialysis.
However, against all odds, in 2023, Tendai received news of her unexpected pregnancy and gave birth to her son Zayn in January.
Mr Tendai, 36, came to Sheffield from Zimbabwe with his 14-year-old family.
She was at university in Bradford when she was first diagnosed with kidney failure aged 20.
“After graduating from university, my legs really swell. I used to elevate them, but it didn't get better, so my parents convinced me to go to the hospital,” she said.
Doctors in Sheffield told her that her kidney function was gradually deteriorating and she would need medication, dialysis and eventually a transplant.
She was also advised that “putting another body in my body would put undue strain on my kidneys.”
During pregnancy, healthy kidneys have to work hard to keep the blood clean while the baby releases waste products into the mother's bloodstream.
For women whose kidneys are not functioning, pregnancy is even more taxing on the body, so more frequent dialysis is recommended to keep the blood as clean as possible.
handoutTendai said she was initially able to accept the double-bomb remark, but it became more difficult as time went on.
“When my boyfriend became my husband, we managed to get by together. I was on medication, so I was used to a routine,” she said.
“But then all my friends started having babies, so I started going to baby showers a lot.”
She said she and her husband, Crispen, started considering surrogacy when she unexpectedly became pregnant.
“I couldn't believe it. It couldn't be real. I showed my husband the test,” she said.
“I bought four more pregnancy tests just to be sure.”
Throughout her pregnancy, she was frequently monitored by multiple medical teams at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including an obstetrician, midwife, nephrologist, dialysis nurse and renal nutritionist.
During her pregnancy, she had to go to the hospital three times a week for dialysis, and her baby's growth was continuously monitored with frequent ultrasound scans to identify and treat problems early. Ta.
handoutDr Veena Reddy, Consultant Nephrologist, said: “It is extremely rare for women on dialysis to successfully conceive.
“The level of care and collaboration between several specialist teams, including Jessop Wing's renal team, dieticians, anesthesiologists and maternal medicine team, was incredible.”
Shortly after Zane was born in January, there was a new twist in Tendai's story.
A kidney donor was found and she was scheduled for a transplant.
However, she made the difficult decision to decline the offer, wanting to ensure that her son was taken care of first.
“If I had had the transplant, I would have had to give up holding my baby,” she said.
“I wouldn't be able to breastfeed him. I couldn't do that.”
Tendai decided to decline the transplant and is now back on the waiting list.
Although she no longer requires weekly dialysis, she still takes medication for her symptoms.
But she said becoming a mother was worth it, saying: “He's an incredible person. He treats everyone with a smile. I think he knows he's a miracle.” .
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