Shabrina Rahim should have been among the hundreds of people walking in Surrey's annual Kidney Walk Sunday, but instead she had to spend Sunday in the hospital because she's battling complications from her failing kidneys.
The 39-year-old single mother desperately needs a kidney donor.
"I have a little boy," she told CTV News. "I have a dream with him, you know. Things I want to do before I leave."
She's mother to 8-year-old Sahil, and she's hoping to find a new kidney so she can spend more time with him.
This is the second time she's been in search of a new kidney. More than a decade ago, a family member was a match and made a donation that saved her life. But now, that kidney has stopped working and she's back on dialysis.
"It just doesn't feel good to be sick all the time," she said.
The wait for a kidney in B.C., however, is a long one.
Pia Schindler, spokesperson for the Kidney Foundation's B.C. and Yukon branch says that about half of people on the list for a new kidney will die waiting. Right now, there's 3,300 people on that list.
"On average, the wait time is about five years. So it's tough," Schindler says.
Rahim says she's a fighter, though.
She was too sick to take part in the Kidney Walk Sunday, but was heartened when loved ones sent her pictures from the event.
"When I opened my text messages I was like wow," she said. "I couldn't believe how many people showed up for me."
Rahim's relatives are dedicated to helping her.
"We've pretty much been told she needs a kidney to continue on. She's in dire need," said Imraana Persaud, a relative.
"She's here [at the walk] with us in spirit and we're all here to support her," said Zakiyah Shafique, Rahim's cousin.
Her family and friends know how important it is for her to find a donor, and they're spreading the message with signs at the walk and with a Facebook page dedicated to finding her a new kidney.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Michele Brunoro.
