The story of the young Guyanese woman, Nadia Budwah, and her son, Aditya, is a true story of pure love, sacrifice, selflessness, and tragedy. It embodies the might of the human spirit and a mother’s unparalleled and unfathomable love for her child.
Photo of Nadia and Aditya taken in January, 2021. (Newsroom photo)
In August, 2020, after having breathing difficulties and vomiting blood, Aditya Mohabir, then fourteen years old, was diagnosed with end stage renal failure forcing him into routine dialysis treatment until surgery could be done. The high cost of dialysis put the struggling family under great strain. Nadia explained to Newsroom in January, 2021 that she was the sole breadwinner of the family since her husband had injured his spinal cord in an accident, leaving him unable to work. Her husband subsequently passed away in January, 2023.
“Everywhere you go, you have to take taxi because with his condition you cannot travel with bus and we have to leave home like 4am to take him to East Coast at Doobay for the dialysis,” the mother explained.
At the cost of US$3,800, Nadia did a crossmatch testing which determined that she could donate one of her kidneys to save her son’s life. Thankfully, the Guyana Government pledged to cover the cost of the surgery and it was scheduled for the 18th of January, 2021 at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Due to some complications, the surgery was delayed for 8th of February, but was successfully completed. Nadia was 32 years old at that time, and her son, 15.
“It felt great because I know to myself I am doing something good for Aditya and I think [persons] out there should not be afraid to be a donor…support your family or friends, whoever need a donor,” the young mother of two told reporters at a media briefing at GPHC.
Although it would take a few months for Nadia herself to recover from surgery done to donate her kidney, all she could focus on was the well being and happiness of her son.
“I am speaking on behalf of him, he is excited and he can’t wait to go home and show people what he went through and now he get back a normal life, he feel he can show off right now,” the mother said.
The mom’s kidney in the boy’s body was expected to last 20 to 25 years once medication is taken as prescribed and doctor’s orders followed.
However, in early 2023, Aditya developed symptoms of weakness, loss of weight, loss of appetite, fever, belly pain, and abscesses about his body. He was subsequently diagnosed with cancer and was hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital for three months from May, 2023. On the 23rd of July, 2023, Aditya Mohabir passed away at the Georgetown Public Hospital from complications of tuberculosis.
Aditya’s mom would like to dispel an inaccurate report from an irresponsible social media outlet which gave the impression that Aditya died from complications or failure of the kidney transplant operation. She would like to reiterate that the kidney transplant was successful, and that the transplanted kidney was in good health at the time when Aditya died.
We pray that God give Nadia the strength, courage, and comfort to carry on through this difficult time and shower her with His richest blessings in this life and the next.
If you would like to contact Nadia to offer your condolences or any form of assistance, you can contact her on (592) 686 1355 (WhatsApp Available).
