A Saudi national from Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, performed an extraordinary humanitarian gesture when he voluntarily donated an organ to a girl he had never met, Arab News reported.
Mohammed Jomaah Al-Banna, a 34-year-old private sector employee, donated one of his kidneys to a secondary school student, Wijdan Al-Enezi, who had been suffering from a chronic kidney disease since she was six years old.
He explained that the motive behind his donation was to help a human being to enjoy an agony-free life again, with the hope that God would reward him in the hereafter for doing a good deed.
"My only precondition was that the recipient should be in urgent, demanding need of a kidney transplant."
Al-Banna added that his family members admired what he had done.
"They were very happy to hear of my intention to end the suffering of the girl, especially when I told them that she had undergone dialysis for 10 years, and her health was deteriorating.
I headed to the King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in Tabuk and explained that I wanted to donate one of my kidneys to any person whose blood type was compatible with mine," said Al-Banna.
"My only precondition was that the recipient should be in urgent, demanding need of a kidney transplant. After some time, they suggested the girl’s name. The other required medical and official procedures were immediately taken."
A candle in the dark
Mubarak Al-Enezi, Wijdan’s father, told local media that every day he had expected to hear the news of his daughter’s death.
"It was something like a family member who was sentenced to execution. You can imagine how desperate and despondent we were," Al-Enezi said.
He added that he could not find the words of appreciation for Al-Banna who "gave my daughter a candle in the dark."