Family looking for kidney donor with type O blood match

Life has been hard for Uqbah Mohammed, who is not only fighting stage five Chronic Kidney Disease but has one of the rarest blood types.

Uqbah is one of more than 230 other children in the UK who urgently need a donor if they are to see more New Years.

She has had numerous health conditions throughout her life including a metabolic condition, right eye congenital ptosis, and has had to be tube fed, as well as Asthma and allergies. She also has autism and global developmental delay.

Uqbah at the hospital (Image: Family handout)

Uqbah has a lot of problems with feeding and, in 2019, doctors discovered there was a problem with her kidneys.

Her mother, Ummarah Irshad, has issued an urgent appeal for anyone with type O blood to come forward.

The plea comes just over a decade since she lost her four-year-old child, Hania Muhammad, to a brain tumour.

Mum's kidney donor appeal

Ummarah, who isn’t a suitable match, said: “Uqbah didn’t walk until she was the age of five, and even now requires a wheelchair to cover long distances. She has very limited understanding of the world and has very little concept of her surroundings.

Uqbah when she was younger (Image: Google)

“Uqbah was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Failure stage 5. Gradually her kidney function deteriorated completely. Uqbah was listed for a kidney transplant in 2021 and since her condition has deteriorated. She is now on dialysis three times per week, recently increased to four hours per visit, as her health is deteriorating.

“We are going through a very rocky road, and challenging times, as life is literally between hospital and home. 

“Currently, Uqbah cannot enjoy any of her favourite activities such as, swimming due to the risk of infection, neither can we enjoy holidays abroad like we used to with our other family members, due to Uqbah's deteriorating health and her being on the donor transplant list.

“A kidney donation for Uqbah would be a new lease of life. It would mean the world and a new beginning for Uqbah, myself and our extended family. It would allow Uqbah to enjoy daily activities and live life to her fullest, as she loves life and is a very beautiful and sociable young lady.

“Uqbah has always had to live an underprivileged life, due to her underlying health conditions.

"Therefore, as a mother in great need, I urge anyone to please help by coming forward and giving my beautiful daughter a chance to a new life, one that she is entitled to and deserves. As a mother, I wish to see my only surviving child at a young age of 14 years enjoy her life and experience joy, instead of anxiety, pain, and suffering.

Hania, right, and sister Uqbah (Image: Google)

“I don't want to lose another precious child, like I lost my eldest gorgeous daughter, Hania.”

Uqbah is part of a group of children who have inspired handmade dolls dotted around the country. 

Uqbah’s doll is being hosted by Leeds Children’s Hospital.

It is part of an NHS campaign to raise vital awareness of the need for more child organ donors.

Each doll will wear a badge inviting people passing by to scan a QR code and hear stories of children waiting for transplants from across the UK.

Both child and adult deceased donors are needed, as well as living kidney and liver donors, to help with children on the waiting list.

In 2021/22, just 52 per cent of families who were approached about organ donation gave consent for their child’s organs to be donated. 

This represented just 40 organ donors under the age of 18. However, in cases where a child was already registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register, no family refused donation.

Ummarah is particularly aware that while anyone might be a suitable donor match for Uqbah, people of similar South Asian heritage may have a higher chance of being a match.

Appealing directly to members of the Asian community, she said: "As a mother, I would like to say to all communities, please, please, please do not shy away from being organ donors. 

“It is an altruistic act and as quoted in the holy Quran, 'To save one human life is equivalent to saving the whole of humanity'. 

“Please donate, as through this selfless act, you can save many lives.

“Please help by sharing the story and spreading the word, in the hope that some angel somewhere reads the story and comes forward, offering to be a donor, and saves my baby's life.”

For more information on the campaign, visit https://waitingtolive.org