Malaysian father quits smoking after 40 years to donate kidney to son

MALAYSIA: In a heartwarming display of sacrifice, a Malaysian father quit his 40-year smoking habit to donate a kidney to his son, who was battling stage 5 kidney failure.

Dr Mohamad Zulkifli, 27, shared the touching story on TikTok on 19 November.

In the video, he included footage of his father using a lung exerciser, a three-ball spirometer, with the caption, “My hero. My father is a former smoker who used to love Gudang Garam (a cigarette brand). When he decided to donate his kidney to me, he gave up smoking completely.”

@dr.zulkifli

Tomorrow is the transplant day. May Allah ease everythings

♬ original sound – Zulkifli_Ayub – Zulkifli_Ayub

Dr Zulkifli, a doctor at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kelantan, revealed that he was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2020 after experiencing persistent vomiting and dizziness.

“I started experiencing symptoms like vomiting and dizziness in 2020. Since then, I’ve had to undergo peritoneal dialysis four times a day, all while completing university and transitioning into my career,” he told WeirdKaya.

Unable to bear his son’s suffering any longer, Ayub Abdul Ghani, 61, decided to step forward as a kidney donor despite being a smoker for four decades.

To meet the health requirements for the transplant, Ayub began reducing his smoking habit and eventually quit entirely three months before the surgery.

“My father had been smoking for 40 years. When he decided to donate his kidney, he reduced his smoking bit by bit and managed to quit completely three months before the transplant,” Dr Zulkifli explained, highlighting his father’s determination.

The surgery, recently performed at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, was a success.

Ayub, ever humble about his life-saving gesture, said he was not nervous about the procedure and only wanted the best for his son.

Netizens praise the father’s sacrifice

The TikTok video, which garnered over 800,000 views, has deeply moved netizens, sparking an outpouring of heartfelt reactions.

Many commenters expressed their admiration for the father’s selfless sacrifice.

One user writing, “Father’s love always makes me wanna cry,” and another remarking on the sincerity of a father’s love.

Some users also praised Ayub’s effort in using the three-ball spirometer, recognising the challenge of getting all the balls to rise.

One user remarked, “He got the three-ball spirometer to come up. Good.”

Another expressed amazement at Ayub’s ability, saying, “He can blow all three balls. It’s actually quite difficult.”

A user echoed this sentiment, sharing their own experience and noting they could only manage to get two balls up, further emphasising how impressive Ayub’s achievement was.

The video also prompted others to share personal stories of their own fathers quitting smoking for their families.

One user recounted, “My dad was a smoker until he was 67. One day, he got sick, and I said, ‘Dad, please stop smoking. We want you to be there when we graduate.’ He stopped immediately.”

Another shared a similar experience, “My dad was a smoker until I was warded at three years old for severe pneumonia. He gave up smoking until now.”

The viral story has resonated with many, serving as a powerful testament to the lengths parents go to for their children and the life-changing impact of their sacrifices.