The family of 19-year-old Anotidaishe Emmanuel is appealing for US$35 000 to enable him to undergo a kidney transplant and bladder surgery in India.
Born on 21 December 2006, Emmanuel is currently on dialysis twice a week.
In an interview with CITE, his mother, 42-year-old Teedzai Gideon Mlambo, said her son began experiencing bladder incontinence at the age of four.
“He was seen by urologists in Bulawayo, who then referred him for further management. Since then, he has been under the care of urologists in Harare,” she said.
Ms Mlambo said that from Grade Five, her son had to perform self-catheterisation to fully empty his bladder and prevent constant leakage, on the advice of specialists.
“Little did we know that his kidneys were being affected. In July 2024, he collapsed at school and was rushed to hospital. Blood tests showed that the toxin levels in his blood were extremely high. Further investigations led to a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease,” she said.
Emmanuel was admitted to Parirenyatwa Hospital for more than a month.
“He was discharged in the hope that his condition would improve, but it worsened. He started dialysis in February 2025 and has since been undergoing treatment twice a week at Parirenyatwa,” she said.
His illness has also disrupted his education. Ms Mlambo said he was unable to attend school for the remainder of the third term in 2024 while in Lower Six.
“He attended part of the first term in 2025, but complications from dialysis set in. In the second and third terms he could not attend at all because of very high blood pressure and swelling of the face and feet, despite medication. However, he managed to sit for his final A-level examinations in 2025 and passed Economics, Business Studies and Computer Science,” she said.
Doctors have advised that a transplant is now necessary.
“Dialysis has not been kind to him; it is draining him. We already have potential donors lined up. What we lack are the funds to proceed. Zimbabwe does not yet offer kidney transplant services, so the procedure must be done outside the country, with India being the recommended option. The same applies to his bladder condition, which requires cystoplasty surgery that cannot be performed locally,” she said.
Ms Mlambo said the family is also struggling to meet ongoing medical expenses. These include medication, three types of injections to boost blood production, tablets to stabilise his blood pressure, and transport costs for dialysis sessions.
“He attends dialysis from 03:00 to 08:30. We choose that time because there is less pressure on the machines,” she said.
Those wishing to assist can contribute via a GoFundMe page, EcoCash on 0782316670, or through bank transfers to accounts provided by the family. They can also contact Ms Mlambo directly on 0782316670.