Wira Transplant Walk: From dialysis to the summit, patients set sights on Mt Kinabalu climb to spotlight organ donation awareness (VIDEO)

Malaysian transplant recipients climb Mt Kinabalu to champion organ donation

Patients on dialysis and organ recipients, alongside doctors and volunteers, are preparing to climb Mt Kinabalu to show that serious illness does not limit active lives.

The initiative, Wira Transplant Walk, aims to raise awareness about organ donation and highlight the need for stronger national coordination and a transplant centre in Malaysia.

Doctors stress that medically stable patients can safely take on such challenges with proper training, while participants emphasise resilience, advocacy, and changing public perceptions.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 - On a warm Sunday morning at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, a small but determined group gathered not just for a walk, but for something far bigger - hope.

About 30 people, including organ transplant recipients, dialysis patients, doctors and volunteers, turned up for the flag-off of the Wira Transplant Walk - a symbolic one-hour loop around the park ahead of a far more daunting challenge: scaling Mount Kinabalu.

Among them will be 15 patients - some living with transplanted organs, others still undergoing dialysis - alongside a team of doctors, all preparing to take on South-east Asia's tallest peak.

For 42-year-old Ananthan, who received a kidney from his mother after nearly three years on dialysis, the climb is about changing perceptions.

"People still think transplant patients cannot live normally," he said. "But this proves we can be healthy, active - maybe even more disciplined than others."

He has been training weekly, mixing hikes, stair climbs and gym work in preparation.

The climb, however, is not just about personal milestones - it is also about advocacy.

Siva Kumar Raghavan, 55, knows that journey all too well.

A kidney transplant recipient in 2012 whose graft failed in 2016, he has been back on dialysis for nearly a decade. Yet this will be his third time attempting Kinabalu.

"We want people to understand that even on dialysis, or after transplant, you can still live a full life," he said.

But his message goes beyond inspiration.

Malaysia, he pointed out, continues to struggle with organ donation awareness despite an estimated 7,000 accident-related deaths annually - many of which could potentially contribute to transplants.

"The issue is not just awareness among the public, but whether hospitals are approaching families," he said, stressing the need for better systems and training.

Also among those gearing up is Muhd Suffian, 33, who has been part of the transplant advocacy space and continues to lend his voice to efforts aimed at reshaping public understanding.

For him, the climb is less about conquering a mountain and more about sustaining a message - that life after transplant is not just possible, but meaningful.

"I had always wanted to climb to the peak and since they were doing it, I feel like I couldn't miss out, so I'm joining them this time. I'm nervous, but with the doctors on board and my friends, I will feel stronger and more confident with their support," he told Malay Mail.

The Wira Transplant initiative, led by Manvir Victor, grew out of an earlier climb in 2022 and has since evolved into a broader push for awareness and change.

"What started as a climb became something bigger," he said.

"We want Malaysians to know transplantation is possible here - we have the expertise, the doctors, the facilities. What we need is coordination and stronger national focus."

He added that the group hopes to see the establishment of a national transplant centre within their lifetime.

Today's walk, though modest, carried that larger ambition.

National Transplant Resource Centre director Dr Mohd Syafiq Ismail Azman, who was present, described the effort as part of an ongoing challenge to reach more Malaysians.

"This is about awareness, and it's not easy," he said, wishing the climbers well.

From a medical standpoint, the message was clear: transplantation is not a limitation - but preparation is key.

Dr Mohamad Zaimi Abdul Wahab of Hospital Kuala Lumpur's nephrology unit said patients must first ensure they are medically stable before attempting strenuous activities.

"If they are stable for over a year, with proper training, these kinds of activities are possible," he said.

"The transplant itself is not the problem. Fitness level is."

He also highlighted a crucial distinction between transplant patients and those on dialysis.

"With dialysis, you are tied to a schedule - it limits your movement. Transplant gives you freedom," he said.

Other doctors, including Dr Vijayan Manogaran and Dr Husniza Omar, echoed the importance of safety, preparation and continuous medical supervision.

Patients can live normal lives - but they must take care of themselves," one doctor said.

That balance between caution and courage was evident throughout the morning.

Some participants admitted they had only recently begun training. Others, like Ananthan, have spent months preparing. But all shared a common purpose - to prove that illness does not define limits.

As the group completed their walk, laughter and quiet determination filled the air.

For many, Mount Kinabalu is more than just a mountain.

It is a statement.

That even with a new organ - or while waiting for one - life does not stop at survival.

It keeps climbing.