Francie’s renal failure resulted in an emergency in 2002 when she needed a kidney transplant. Her mother donated her own without thinking twice. 

After successful surgery, a decade of good health followed. Francie lived a full life managing her own business and also got married. 

In 2012 the transplant kidney failed and Francie went back onto dialysis. 

She got Opthalmic Shingles in 2018. This rapidly spread to become Encephalitis. Francie’s body shut down, leading to heart failure and a coma – necessitating 5 weeks of ventilation. 

Contrary to the doctor’s projections (up to 6 months of rehabilitation hospitalisation), Francie was released within the

same month. She quickly started driving and walking again – against all medical expectations. 

The repercussions set in later. Francie’s heart had suffered strain under years of dialysis. In May 2024 she had a heart attack, necessitating a bypass. She became the youngest transplant patient in South Africa to undergo this procedure. Since 2018, Francie’s had a total of 14 surgeries. 

Today Francie is 44 and still on dialysis – fortunately, at home. With the assistance of a visiting nurse 4 times a week, Francie is now able to manage the procedure herself. 

Francie joyfully expresses how blessed, humbled and grateful all these life events have made her. It’s not been an easy few decades, but with her unwavering faith, much loving support from family and friends plus several excellent medical teams, Francie survived. 

Francie deserves a medal for marching ahead on the rocky path of renal failure – and its intense aftermath – with immense bravery and perseverance. And a monument. For living in unfailing gratitude – and expressing it.

AllLife proudly brings Francie peace of mind with our specialist Life Cover that’s especially designed for people living with Chronic Condtions.