Lomu says donor kidney has failed: report

Legendary All Blacks rugby winger Jonah Lomu says the kidney he received in a 2004 transplant is failing and he may have to rejoin waiting lists for a second transplant operation.

Lomu, 36, was rushed to Auckland Hospital more than a week ago when his donated kidney began to fail. He has been receiving daily dialysis treatments as doctors work to determine whether the organ can be saved.

In a paid exclusive magazine interview with the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly, Lomu said “I was just about to leave for a function (September 23) and I crashed. My kidney was failing and my body had become so toxic it started to shut down.”

“My kidney needs a rest, then it needs to wake up and start working,” Lomu told the Woman’s Weekly. “It needs to fight.”

Lomu’s wife Nadene told the magazine the couple were waiting for medical tests which would show whether a second transplant was necessary.

“They’ve said there’s a very slim chance this kidney may survive,” she said. “So for now Jonah’s having dialysis every day and a load of other treatments to see if it can be revived.”

Lomu’s blockbusting runs on the New Zealand wing made him the first superstar in the professional rugby era.
 

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