Metro Vancouver sisters share 'unbreakable' bond following living kidney donation
Sisters Reema Garcha and Binn Johal have shared a lot in life, including their birthdays. They were born five years apart on Jan. 15.
As kids, Johal said the shared birth date used to be a source of frustration.
“Because she’s the younger sister, it was a little bit annoying I had to share my birthday with her,” she said. “But as we got older, we celebrated our birthday together every year.”
In 2017, Johal was told she needed a kidney transplant, following a decade of deterioration as the result of an autoimmune disease.
“I was very tired...you just don’t feel good,” she said. “My family got tested, but anybody could get tested, it could be a complete stranger who could be your match, could be your friend.”
Garcha also stepped forward to get tested to see if she could be her sister’s living donor.
“I wanted it so bad,” she said. “In my heart I knew I would be a match.”
Then, in late 2017, Garcha got the news she had been hoping for: she was a match for Johal.
“It was the best news ever,” she said, and recalled calling her sister to tell her. "I often say I won the lottery that day.”
Johal remembers that call well.
“It was very emotional,” she said. “Because your life can go one way or the other, and I just happen to have an amazing sister who gave me a life.”
The transplant took place in February 2018 at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Johal said she was in a room just down the hall from her sister.
“The next day I walked to her room,” she said. “So that was incredible.”
Garcha recalled she still wasn’t out of bed when she saw her sister walking into the room.
“So I thought, gosh, this kidney’s working,” she laughed. “I joked and said you must have got the good kidney.”
Over three years post-transplant, the sisters are doing great.
“When I do look at my tiny little scar, it’s just unbelievable thinking that that actually happened,” Garcha said. “It seems like a hard decision but really for me, it was an easy decision. It was about giving life to a loved one.”
While people don’t need to be related for living donation, the experience has only strengthened the connection between the two sisters, according to Johal.
“We always had a really tight bond, we were best of friends,” she said, and added with a laugh: “I just can’t get mad at her any more.”
Garcha agreed.
“It’s a bond that is unbreakable now,” she said. “It’s also given me so much more purpose in life. It’s elevated my whole thinking on life itself, and all of my family members, knowing that we could make this much difference has been incredible.”
Along with considering living donation, Johal said it only takes minutes for people to sign up to become organ donors, which could end up saving multiple lives.
“It’s the ultimate gift to give somebody," she said. “You’re changing their family’s Iives as well.”
Though it came a few weeks past their joint birthday, the gift Johal received from her own little sister has made all the difference in her life.
“She’s my hero.”
For more information on living donation, visit BC Transplant’s website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.