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From sharing tangyuan to a kidney: How a workplace friendship led to a life-saving organ transplant
Two audio engineers who bonded over music and humour now share an even deeper connection after one donated a kidney to the other at Mount Elizabeth Hospital
Mr Tew (left) recovering at Mount Elizabeth Hospital together with Mr Pang, post-surgery.
PHOTO: MOUNT ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
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When Mr Tew Jian En’s phone rang that day in 2021, his friend Mr Pang Jinghui was on the other end. He needed a kidney transplant.
Mr Tew’s answer came without hesitation: “Yes.”
The two had met six years earlier as audio engineers, bonding over their shared sense of humour and love of music. What began as a workplace friendship had deepened over time. Mr Pang, knowing his Malaysian colleague had just moved to Singapore for work and was living alone at that time, invited him to spend the winter solstice with his family, sharing tangyuan together. “I wanted to provide some form of comfort for my friend,” says Mr Pang, 36.
Even after they moved on to different jobs, the pair stayed close, checking in regularly on each other’s lives. IgA nephropathy
But Mr Tew, 32, had also watched his friend’s health decline. Between 2017 and 2021, Mr Pang’s kidney function dropped sharply – from 50 per cent to below 40 per cent – requiring increasingly intense treatments including steroids. The visible toll was clear: mood swings, nausea, severe water retention and gout.
Mr Pang had been living with chronic kidney disease since his teens. A National Service pre-enlistment screening at age 18 revealed
“As the months went by, I saw it going below 40, 50 per cent – I knew the time would come when I would need a transplant. Finally, it was time to face reality,” says Mr Pang.
When that call came, Mr Tew did not need time to think.
“I had lost a sister to leukaemia, so I could understand how Jinghui’s family must be feeling and I wanted to help,” he recalls.
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A moment of doubt
Just as he was about to be wheeled into the operating theatre, Mr Tew’s phone rang. It was his wife who told him, “I’m pregnant.”
The news made him pause, but only for a split second. He went ahead with the operation.
The transplant, performed by Dr Lewis Liew
Dr Lewis Liew explains: “Donor surgery is typically minimally invasive, which offers significant benefits for the donor, such as a smaller incision, less pain and a faster recovery. While the left kidney is usually preferred due to its longer blood vessels, in this case, Mr Tew’s left kidney had an atypical anatomy – it had two arteries instead of the usual single artery.”
As connecting the smaller blood vessels of the left kidney would be more difficult, Mr Tew’s right kidney with its shorter blood vessels – too short for a minimally invasive procedure – was selected instead. This necessitated open surgery in this uncommon scenario, he notes.
Mr Tew’s kidney now works in Mr Pang’s body. And both men went on to become fathers – Mr Tew to two daughters, now aged four and two, and Mr Pang to his own child two years after the procedure.
United by more than a transplant, Mr Tew (left) and Mr Pang now get to embrace and enjoy fatherhood.
PHOTO: MOUNT ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
A pressing need
Mr Pang’s situation reflects a broader challenge in Singapore. According to the National Kidney Foundation, six new end-stage kidney failure cases are reported daily in the country. Dr Adrian Liew kidney transplant
As kidneys lose function and waste matter builds up, patients can experience the symptoms Mr Pang endured, as well as difficulty breathing, anaemia and even breath that smells like ammonia, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
While dialysis is available,
“Dialysis takes over some part of the kidney function, but it does not totally take over the function of a native kidney and often, toxins are not removed completely from the body. These toxins continue to put the patient in a constant inflammatory state and coupled with the cardiovascular risks associated with dialysis, increase the risk of cardiovascular complications in dialysis patients,” he says.
The waiting time for a kidney from a deceased donor is long and outcomes after transplant are worse with a longer time on dialysis, which is why younger patients with kidney failure would benefit greatly in receiving kidneys from living donors, he adds.
The transplant process
Mr Tew and Mr Pang underwent a living donor kidney transplant (LDKT)
“An LDKT is a procedure where a healthy kidney is removed from a living donor and placed into a recipient whose kidneys have failed,” shares Dr Lewis Liew.
Dr Adrian Liew explains that both parties – and their families – receive thorough counselling about the procedure and long-term follow-up. They undergo medical and psychological evaluation to ensure everyone understands what lies ahead.
Mr Pang (left) with Mr Tew at Mount Elizabeth Hospital to prepare for their transplant procedure.
PHOTO: MOUNT ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
“To be eligible as a living donor for kidney transplant, the individual must have a good kidney function and no risk factors for kidney disease, so that the risk of them developing kidney failure after the transplant is kept to a minimum,” says Dr Adrian Liew.
Post-surgery, the donor typically spends around five to seven days in hospital and recovers within one to two weeks, while the recipient stays longer and begins medication to prevent rejection of the new kidney.
In this case, Mr Pang had insurance that covered the operation and some associated costs, including part of donor Mr Tew’s bills. Mr Pang had a Plan B hospitalisation plan but chose to receive care at a private hospital, while the remainder of the bill was covered by his corporate plan.
Life after transplant
The impact was almost immediate for Mr Pang: his gout disappeared after the procedure.
“Kidneys from living donors generally begin working immediately, allowing recipients to recover in a matter of days and avoid the need for dialysis,” explains Dr Lewis Liew.
There are other adjustments. Mr Pang remains on immunosuppressants to prevent his body from rejecting the kidney. He avoids undercooked food to reduce the risk of food poisoning and wears a mask in crowded places to lower the chances of getting sick.
Mr Tew has been advised to avoid high-impact contact sports that could injure his remaining kidney.
“Otherwise, they can continue living a normal life,” says Dr Adrian Liew, adding: “Both of them are doing well and have good kidney function.”
The two friends stay in regular contact with Dr Adrian Liew and have full access to his advice. Even simple medications for a cold can interact with Mr Pang’s post-transplant drugs, so having direct access to their doctor gives him peace of mind.
The bond between the two families has only strengthened. They spend time together regularly, with outings and visits to each other’s homes where their children play together.
Says Mr Pang: “You never know who in your life that you cross paths with will become like a brother to you. I am very touched by what he did for me.” Learn more about living donor kidney transplants.
