McMaster hospital employee given ‘second chance’ at life by colleague’s kidney donation

Having lived with a kidney disease for two decades, Ijaz Sajjad was given a second chance" after finding a donor - right here in Hamilton.

In December 2018, Sajjad's kidney was failing after nearly 20 years of living with IgA nephropathy, or Berger's disease.

With five per cent kidney function and deteriorating health, Sajjad persevered through dialysis treatments three times per week and even suffered from a heart attack caused by the disease.

My body was drained out, I had no energy, and I'd collapse on my bed," Sajjad said. I was looking at the end of my life."

He was in desperate need of a new kidney and found a donor pretty close to home - a rarity for folks on the organ transplant list.

He found his donor close to work at McMaster University Medical Centre, but the journey to find a match wasn't an easy one.

His family members were tested, but none were a match, landing Sajjad a spot on the transplant list. But a spot on the list doesn't guarantee an organ.

In 2019, there were roughly 4,000 Canadians on the waiting list, and 223 people died while waiting for a transplant. Wait times can range from a few months to years.

I didn't want to be that person that's going to make this statistic," Sajjad said, so he got creative.

He took to social media, began speaking at community events to promote his story, and even placed an ad on a billboard, he said.

Hamilton Health Sciences helped out with the search, too, and it released a story about Sajjad, leading to over a dozen employees - most of whom had never met Sajjad - who were willing to donate if they were a match.

One of those employees was Hollie Spencer, an administrative assistant supporting the obstetrics and gynecology program at McMaster University Medical Centre.

When he found out she was a match, he took her for coffee and asked her a question: Why did she want to donate her kidney to a man she doesn't know?

She looked me right in my eyes and said, It's the right thing to do,' " Sajjad said. That's when I knew she was pretty determined in her choice."

Finding a match was only the first step, though. And when the pandemic hit in early 2020, their surgeries were put on hold.

During this time, Sajjad and Spencer continued to go for coffee and even met each other's families while he kept working and undergoing dialysis treatments.

Nearly three years after their initial encounter, Spencer and Sajjad met again on Oct. 28, 2021 - this time, at Toronto General Hospital.

Spencer's kidney was removed in the morning, with Sajjad's transplant scheduled for later in the afternoon.

Just as the anesthesiologist was preparing Sajjad to go under, he stopped them.

I said hang on ... Let me just see what my gift is."

Sajjad laid his eyes on Spencer's kidney, which he said was a phenomenal moment" where he was able to see the generosity of someone who had, quite literally, saved his life.

Holly became a life-saving angel for me," Sajjad said. She gave him a second chance."

Both Sajjad and Spencer had some minor complications after surgery - not related to the surgery itself - and they continue to speak every day while they recover.

I feel like a million doll ... No, a billion-dollar man nowadays," he said. It went well, and now I have a great story to tell."

Spencer does, too, and often has to remind Sajjad the kidney no longer belongs to her when he chats with her.

When I mention her kidney,' she says, No, no, no. This is your kidney.' "

And his new kidney means he can play with his grandson - something he couldn't do before the transplant because he wasn't strong enough, he said with a breaking voice.

That was heartbreaking for me. But now, I think I could do all of that, that I didn't do before."

If there's one thing Sajjad wants people to take away from his story is that his is not unique - every day, people sit on the donor list hoping for a life-saving match.

One of those people is another Hamiltonian, Robert Slater, 30, who is on the hunt for a kidney donor match due to a rare, life-threatening genetic condition called Fabry disease.

Are you looking to be a donor for Slater or someone else in need of an organ?

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton advises people to complete a medical screening questionnaire at stjoes.ca/livingdonorquestionnaire. Additional information can be found at stjoes.ca/hospital-services/kidney-urinary-services/living-kidney-donor-program, or call 905-522-1155 ext. 32156 or email livingdonors@stjoes.ca to connect with the kidney donation team.

Slater's full name, which you can provide to the team, is Robert Edward Slater.

Alessia Passafiume is a reporter at The Spectator. apassafiume@thespec.com