Jonah Lomu may undergo kidney transplant surgery before the end of the year if a suitable donor can be found and a return to rugby can't be ruled out, New Zealand Rugby Union doctor John Mayhew said Monday.
Mayhew said strenuous efforts were being made to find a suitable donor, to avoid a standard wait of up to three years for the lifesaving operation.
The All Blacks winger began dialysis Saturday after suffering a severe deterioration in the condition of his kidneys, brought about by the rare nephrotic syndrome he has battled since 1996.
As Lomu underwent dialysis Saturday as an outpatient at Auckland Hospital, debate raged within New Zealand over his rugby future.
The player, regarded as the most famous face in rugby, remained adamant he would conquer his illness and play for the All Blacks again.
Mayhew, who has been more equivocal over the winger's future, refused to rule out that possibility.
"Whether he gets selected is up to the All Black selectors," he said. "We'll get Jonah right, get him a kidney and then see what happens. It's feasible, I'm not saying it's probable."
Auckland renal expert Krishnan Madhan said the lives of patients who had undergone kidney transplants were ``fairly normal in many respects.'' There had been recorded cases in which sportspeople resumed careers after kidney surgery, he said.
But other medical experts said such a return was unlikely.
Transplanted kidneys are often placed at the front of the abdomen and, as such, would be vulnerable to injury. Transplant patients were generally discouraged from playing contact sport.
Lomu, who said he was feeling ``good and strong'' after dialysis, remained clear in his aim to return to rugby.
"My dream has always been to wear that All Black shirt," he said in a statement on his web site jonahlomu.com.
"My dream hasn't changed. I'm doing everything I can to fight back into top form and with your help I can do it."
More than 400 New Zealanders are on kidney waiting lists and, unless a specific donor can be found, Lomu might have to wait years for surgery. Mayhew said a "directed donation" of a suitable organ by a fan, friend or family member could cut that wait to six months.
Relatives of a kidney sufferer made the best candidates for organ donation, Mayhew said, because their blood and tissue types were often compatible with the patient's.
"There is no one lined up so to speak," Mayhew said. "It may well be this year if things go according to plan."
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
RSS