Mom of 3 Battling End-Stage Kidney Disease Gets Removed from Medical Aid
- A mother of three boys is currently fighting for her life after she was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure last year
- The resilient woman has been battling with multiple other life-threatening conditions since 2016, caused by sarcoidosis and lupus
- Her father’s medical aid, Polmed, recently removed her, just after she found out that her 50-year-old mother was a suitable kidney donor
A woman from Cape Town, Nicole Shannon Bernard, has reached out to South Africa after she was let down by her father’s medical aid days before her surgery.
Source: Getty Images
The mother of three was about to undergo a kidney transplant before she was denied medical assistance due to her age. The family has been pleading and following up with the medical aid provider with no luck.
Bernard could not stand the thought of her little boys living life without her and thought of a way to raise money for her surgery. She opened a BackaBuddy account/campaign to hopefully raise enough to cover all of her medical expenses related to the kidney transplant.
Mom of 3 loses medical aid right after finding kidney donor
A 30-year-old woman from Cape Town was devastated after her opportunity to get a kidney transplant surgery was taken away by her father’s medical aid provider because of her age. The medical aid, Polmed, terminated its services after years of the family supporting the business.
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In 2024, Bernard was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure. Doctors tried every possible medication, but instead of helping, the treatments only made her condition worse.
Within just a few months, Bernard’s kidneys declined to stage 5, with only 6% function remaining. The doctors told her she would need to start dialysis immediately and begin preparing for a kidney transplant.
“On January 18, 2025, I had my first appointment with the transplant coordinator. We reviewed my condition and what needed to be done, and soon after, all my medical reports were sent to the Polmed Medical Scheme for authorisation. On the 5th of June, my transplant was approved, and I could finally begin the work-up process for this life-saving procedure.”
Termination of the medical aid after finding a donor
Bernard was excited about her life-changing surgery after discovering that her 50-year-old mother was a perfect match. The family rejoiced about the good news, only to get a negative response from the medical aid provider.
Bernard’s sister, Teleese, explained to Briefly News that they received feedback from the medical aid provider on 25 July via email. They informed the family that they would terminate the medical aid due to the patient’s age and went through with the procedure by July 31st:
“As soon as my dad saw that email, he got on the phone with the Polmed medical aid to ask what the reason was for her being terminated, as he was paying adult rate from the time she turned 30.
The consultant stated that it was a new scheme rule that all adult dependents 30 years of age will be removed from the medical aid, and the only way that they are able to stay on is if they have a disability. Doctors have motivated and stipulated that she (Bernard) is disabled and unable to work due to her condition and is fully dependent on our parents.”
Source: Getty Images
Nicole Shannon Bernard’s medical journey
In 2016, Bernard was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a disease where clusters of inflamed tissue called granulomas form in different parts of the body. The disease mostly affected her lungs:
“At the time, I was fortunate to be on my father's medical aid (POLMED). I have been dependent on the scheme since birth. This gave me access to treatment and l even had to undergo a lung biopsy to help doctors better understand the extent of the disease. It was a frightening experience, but it was the beginning of a journey I never expected to face so young.”
As the years went by, Bernard’s health began to decline further. Her body started retaining water, her eyes became puffy, and she also doubled in size without understanding why:
“It was frightening watching my body change so drastically while feeling powerless.”
In 2018, Bernard was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), more commonly known as Lupus. Lupus is an inflammatory disease that happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues:
“It's a cruel illness because it doesn't just target one part of the body- It can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. For me, it meant living with constant fatigue, painful joints, swelling, and flare-ups that would come and go without warning. Some days, I could push through. Other days, even the simplest tasks felt impossible.”
In 2021, Bernard fell pregnant with her youngest son. She had to stop taking certain medication to protect her baby, and as the months went by, her kidneys began to deteriorate.
Doctors urged the lady to terminate the pregnancy, warning her that continuing could cost her life.
“In my heart, I knew I could not. I refused. I spent most of my pregnancy in and out of the hospital, fighting for both my baby and myself. As a Christian, I don't believe in termination, so even though I knew the risks and complications, I chose to walk this journey and trust in God. It was not an easy road.”
On August 18, 2022, the doctors told the expecting mom that they could only save either the mother or the baby. They performed an emergency C-section so that Bernard could go back on her medication:
“They asked me if it came down to making a choice- who should survive? Without hesitation, I chose my son's life over my own.
But God had different plans for us. Both my baby and I survived that day. He was born premature.”
The family is hoping the medical aid provider will come through for them and help Bernard get her life-changing surgery.
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Source: Briefly News
