Lisa Morgan pledges help for kidney patients

Standard People
BY SIMBARASHE MANDANGO AND MICHAEL SHOKO Reigning Miss Universe Zimbabwe, Lisa Morgan, has urged government to start looking at the plight of kidney patients saying the disease has been given little attention.

Morgan, who is also the Renal Ambassador, is set to take two boys to India next year for kidney transplants.She is assisting the two boys to undergo kidney transplants as part of her role as the Renal Ambassador. This is also in line with her bid to bring awareness of the critical condition of the kidneys.

The two boys, Jonathan Jones (19) and Dalubuhle Moyo (14) have been her focus since February this year at the beginning of her reign as Miss Universe Zimbabwe along with her renal ambassadorial role.

In an interview with StandardLife&Style, Morgan said other diseases like HIV and cancer have been given immense support compared to kidney failure.“Kidney patients have been neglected for some time now but other chronic diseases like HIV and cancer are taken seriously yet kidney treatment, which is very expensive and unaffordable to many, has not received the same attention, ” she said.

Morgan said she was touched by the plight of the boys and is determined to do all she can to assist them undergo kidney transplants. The beauty queen revealed that while this was her focus, the biggest challenge she was facing was in procuring funds to take them to India.

She said lately she has been getting assistance from various organisations like the Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), who held a fundraising dinner that failed to raise adequate money.

She is currently planning another fundraising dinner in January with the hope to raise at least US$40 000.

“Even after the end of my reign as Miss Universe Zimbabwe I am still going to be part of this campaign. My belief is that the end of my reign should not be the end of my vision; therefore I will still be part of this campaign,” said Morgan.

“I am confident that I will still be able to assist many people who suffer from kidney problems even after my reign because I can relate to the people who suffer from such ailments since my brother has been battling such a condition since birth.”

She added: “Therefore my passion to see a change in the lives of those who suffer from this problem and my ambassadorial role again gives me a deep conviction to do anything to make a difference for these people.”

The 20 year-old model plans to go back to school to complete her education at the end of her reign. “Soon after the end of my reign I will be going back to school to further my education.

“I’m currently undertaking two degrees with different institutions and that is my first study, in Architecture and the other one in Financial Marketing,” she added.

Lisa officially took the ambassadorial role in March 2011, in Chitungwiza where the Chitungwiza Hospital Dialysis Centre was being officially opened.