Zimbabwean Olympic sprinter sprinter Gabriel Mvumvure is battling a kidney ailment and is seeking to raise $250 000 for a kidney transplant.
“It all started roughly four weeks after the Rio games,” Mvumvure revealed in an interview from his United States base last week.
“My body had fluid overload, and as such my kidneys started failing. At the time, my lungs were functioning at only 70 percent, which wasn’t good for my heart muscles.
“I started coughing up blood because a sack of fluid had formed around my heart, squeezing it and stopping it from beating properly. I was in pretty bad shape, and ended up in the hospital emergency room.”
Mvumvure underwent emergency dialysis, a process that saw over 12 litres of excess fluid drained from his kidneys.
But the 28-year-old is not out of the woods yet as doctors say only a kidney transplant can remedy the situation.
Mvumvure said that he has so far managed to raise $14 000 of the $250 000 needed to offset the medical expenses through donations.
“Those willing to help me can visit Gofundme.com and make their donations,” said Mvumvure.
