A Cape Town father took it upon himself to become fit and lose weight, so he would be able to donate a kidney to his daughter. The 67-year old Abdullah Parker trained with the Itheko running club last year and entered several races, in an effort to get fit.

He participated in more than 50 races, of which several half-marathons and in November last year, he and his daughter, went to hospital for the medical procedure.

His 23-year old daughter, Amina Parker, who suffered from renal failure, needed a kidney to vastly improve the quality of her life.

Doctors told Abdullah he had to lose 24 kilograms before the procedure. He says he managed to shake off more than 20 last year. “I didn’t make any major changes to my diet. I ate like I normally did, but the one thing I did give up, was bread. With the running, I lost the weight over a 7-month period,” Parker told the Smile Good News Network.

He had to undergo many tests, before it was declared that he could donate his one kidney to his daughter. He also has a son, who could possibly have donated a kidney – but he jokes that his son was not as fit as him.

Parker told Smile Good News Network that he did at least 9 half marathons last year and dozens of other races to get fit – all in order to help his daughter.

After the operation, Abdullah waited 6 weeks before training again. After 5 weeks, the running bug was getting to him, and he slowly resumed training.

It was at one of his training sessions this year, that his daughter, Amina, came along with him and committed to also become fit and join her father on the club’s evening runs through the suburbs of Rondebosch, Claremont, Newlands, Rosebank and surrounding areas.