"I was a happy-go-lucky person, and apart from the normal colds and flus, I would consider myself a healthy person. I smoked heavily, drank occasionally and never bothered to adopt a healthy lifestyle," explained Mr. Ong Joo Hai, former patient of the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) who had since been transplanted.

When I was 49 years old, persistent symptoms of headache and loss of appetite agonised me for a couple of months. After consultation with doctors, I discovered that I suffered from high blood pressure.

When the condition worsened, I was referred to the Singapore General Hospital and was warded for one week. During that week, a lot of tests were carried out and I was diagnosed with kidney failure. Along with the shock of coming to terms with this life- threatening disease, I had to prepare myself mentally for dialysis treatment immediately.

Suddenly, my life turned upside down. I had to monitor my diet, control my blood pressure, restrict my water and salt intake plus many other limitations. I tended to faint occasionally, sometimes even by the roadside. My whole family worried for me. They feared for my life and the possibility of losing a son, sibling, a husband and most importantly, a father.

As I was not earning much, I applied to KDF, a non- profit, charitable organization serving very needy patients who are stricken with kidney disease. Fortunately, my application was approved and my dialysis fees were highly subsidized.

Undergoing dialysis at KDF meant making arrangements at work to accommodate the three-times-a-week, four-hour treatments. Unlike many other kidney patients, being diagnosed with kidney failure did not jeopardize my work as a tow truck driver at the Singapore General Hospital where I was working for the past 35 years.

After two years of dialysis treatment at KDF, I had a kidney transplant in 1998 . That gave me a new lease of life. Now after almost three years, apart from the frequent consultations with doctors and medications, there are no other complications.

After this ' near death ' episode in my life, I have started leading a healthy lifestyle. I have stopped smoking and I eat wisely. I have high hopes of seeing my children grow up and I can look forward to enjoying my retirement."