A Filipino worker based in Abu Dhabi has donated one of her kidneys to her uncle to save his life. On April 9, Arlene Maskarino, 24, a customer service representative who has worked in Abu Dhabi for three years, donated a kidney to her sick uncle after discovering she was eligible, the Khaleej Times reported.
“He is not just my uncle, he is also like a father to me and my best friend. When the doctors told us that my uncle needed a Type O blood donor, I immediately knew that I just had to do it.” Maskarino said.
Maskarino’s uncle, Lito Gerodias, 33, who moved to the UAE 10 years ago, started having problems with his kidneys in 2008. He was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2016 and was told he needed to undergo dialysis treatment or receive a new, healthy kidney.
“I am very thankful to Arlene, for giving a part of her to me,” Gerodias said. Maskarino said she was not scared to give her uncle the kidney as she cares for him deeply. “He is my uncle and I love him, so I’m giving him a part of me,” she said.
Gerodias had successful surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi.