I thought it was gastric. I went to the doctor to get medication for gastric and the diagnosis came back as kidney failure. I was only 16. My mum was distressed. My dad was cooler about it. If he was upset in any way, he never showed it to me. He always kept a positive outlook. I started dialysis when I was 18. Both my parents wanted to donate their kidney to me, but it was not feasible. My mother had diabetes and my dad was suffering from liver cancer. Due to my condition, I had to stop school twice. Still, I managed to earn a diploma in business administration, and also took up secretarial and sales jobs. I count myself lucky that I take after my dad. Following his example, I tried to stay bubbly and positive, and looked on the bright side. I had opted for a kidney transplant. The next step was to wait for my turn and find a matching donor. I waited eight years. During this whole experience, the hardest time for me actually was when my dad passed away from cancer a few years ago. Now that my health has returned, I can make a fresh start. I spend time with my friends whom I was previously not able to meet up with because I wasn't feeling well or had to go for dialysis. Even simple things like housework are now a joy because I was too ill to do them before. In the future, I want to do more sports: Swimming, trekking, maybe even bungie jumping. I ask my doctor every time I go for a check-up. I'm still not allowed to do anything strenuous, but one day I'll be able to. And I'm eagerly looking forward to that day. What does organ donation mean to me? It means a gift to live a full and fulfilling life. Everyone should support organ donation because others who are ill deserve the same opportunity that I got...