Stevie Wonder, born Stevland Haraway Morris, is a well-known singer-songwriter who has influenced many musical genres and written some of the most well-known songs of all time. The singer of Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours, on the other hand, had to take time away from his hectic schedule a few years ago to have a kidney transplant.
Wonder, one of the world’s best-selling artists, announced his surgery to a crowd in London’s Hyde Park in July 2019. The star stated that he will only do three more gigs before his scheduled operation in September.
The star kept details about his health and the reasons for his surgery private, but revealed that he did so to keep speculations about his illness at bay, saying, “I have a donor, and it’s all good.”
A kidney transplant, according to the NHS, is the rapid transplantation of a healthy kidney from one person into the body of another, whose kidney has little to no function.
The kidney’s principal function in the body is to filter waste from the blood and convert it to urine. If the organs are unable to do so, waste can build up and constitute a health risk.
Most commonly, renal failure or chronic kidney disease, both of which are associated with age, causes the kidneys to lose their ability to function.
Other conditions that put stress on the kidneys are the most common causes of chronic renal disease. Typically, symptoms do not appear until the disease has advanced further. However, when they do, people may expect:
Tiredness
Breathing difficulties due to larger hands, feet, or ankles
Urine with blood.
Dialysis, a blood-filtering method, can be used before a total transplant is required. A transplant is the best long-term option for those with renal insufficiency because it partially mimics kidney function but is time-consuming.
Because people can live on just one kidney, kidney donation, unlike many other types of organ donation, can be done while you are still alive.
However, before being considered for donation, a person must pass a battery of tests to ensure that they are healthy enough for removing a kidney.
Because they are more likely to share the same blood type and tissue type, a living donor should be a close relative of the recipient. This significantly minimizes the possibility of the body rejecting the given kidney.
Those in need of a kidney transplant must wait until a suitable living donor kidney becomes available if a suitable deceased donor kidney is not yet available. A dead donor kidney transplant usually necessitates a two to three-year wait.
The National Health Service (NHS) warns that a kidney transplant is a major medical treatment with several potential risks.
In the near term, these risks include blood clots and infection. Diabetes and an increased risk of infection are commonly linked to the medication you must take to reduce the probability of rejection.
Wonder, 71, claimed he is feeling “great” 10 months after receiving a kidney transplant.
The Superstition singer also stated that he felt 30 years younger after receiving the new organ.
“Since I was discharged from the hospital, the nurses have made sure I’ve taken my medicine on time, and I’m going to do it for as long as I have to, even if it’s the rest of my life,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
“I’m in a great mood. My voice sounds great.”
“I just wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and goodwill because I feel like I’m in my forties right now.”
Similarly to before his surgery, the blind singer cautioned fans not to believe “rumors” regarding his health.
“If I’m experiencing something, I’ll let you know,” he added. “We do not want incorrect information to spread. I am alive and well.”
To avoid their new kidney failing, people should live a healthy lifestyle after obtaining a kidney transplant, according to the NHS.
It is recommended that people quit smoking, eat a nutritious diet, get in shape if they are overweight or obese, and take other precautions to reduce their risk of infection.
Patients must take immunosuppressive medicines for the rest of their life to prevent the body’s immune system from attacking the new kidney.
