Mairang, Aug 8: A 20-year-old woman footballer from Meghalaya’s Eastern West Khasi Hills district, who once represented the state in various tournaments, has been diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure and is urgently in need of a donor, her family said on Friday.
The family of Ibaihun Kurbah is appealing to anyone who may be willing to step forward, even if it’s just to get tested as a potential match.
“We know it’s not easy to ask, but this is about saving a life,” said her elder sister with tears in her eyes.
Known for her lightning speed and fierce dedication on the field, the athlete is now fighting off the field.
Friends and coaches recall her journey from being a top-class runner dominating the tracks in her category in the state championship for several years during her school days to donning the Meghalaya jersey at national-level tournaments.
But her career came to a sudden halt earlier this year when she began suffering from unexplained fatigue and other complications.
Medical tests confirmed that both of her kidneys were failing, and immediate transplant is the only option for survival.
“She’s a fighter. We’ve seen that on the football field time and again. Now she needs us to fight for her,” her former coach said.
The player is currently undergoing dialysis multiple times a week.
Her, not-so-well-to-do, family is struggling to meet the rising medical expenses.
The government, through the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme, is providing her with some support in terms of medicines and treatment, but the cost of transportation from Mairang to Shillong, a distance of about 45 kilometres, twice a week is taxing the family’s meagre income.
Civil society groups have launched awareness campaigns and fundraising drives to help cover treatment costs and to spread the word about the urgent need for a donor.
Doctors have confirmed that she requires a kidney from a living donor, preferably with blood type O+ compatibility.
“She has so much more to give to the world – not just as a footballer, but as a daughter, a sister, and a role model for her community,” the footballer’s sister said. (PTI)
