This is my first time visiting a kidney dialysis centre & the community warms my heart
Finding strength, community, and joy amidst dialysis routines.

I arrived at Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) Bishan Centre on a Wednesday afternoon.
It was my first time visiting a dialysis centre and I was unsure of what to expect.
Photo from S L/Google Maps
The space was brightly lit, and the warm smiles of nurses welcomed me as soon as I stepped in.
The atmosphere felt comforting, a stark contrast to the sterile and clinical environment I had imagined.
Spoiler alert, my day at KDF was going to challenge my preconceived notions and show me the meaning of resilience.
Decades of resilience
The first person I met was Hedi Lee, 73, who came across as soft-spoken and kind.
She sat peacefully in her chair, wrapped in a cozy blanket, and greeted me with a gentle smile.
Photo by Michelle Chew.
Lee’s journey with dialysis began 25 years ago when her colleagues noticed her bloodshot eyes and urged her to get it checked.
While there were no issues with her vision, the doctors said her symptoms might indicate high blood pressure and encouraged her to go for a detailed check-up.
What started as a precautionary visit turned into a life-changing diagnosis—Lee was told that her creatinine levels were high and her kidneys were not working very well.
Recalling the moments when she first heard the diagnosis, Lee said she accepted it rather quickly and started her dialysis after a social worker referred her to KDF.
She’s been with KDF since, moving between three centres before settling at the Bishan centre for more than 10 years.
Photo by Michelle Chew.
It was hard not to notice the array of needles and tubes on Lee’s left arm, so I asked if she still finds the process painful.
She shrugged and said she has grown used to it.
Lee attends dialysis sessions thrice weekly—every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon, from 12pm to 5pm.
Despite her routine, dialysis hasn’t stopped her from living a fulfilling life.
Lee finds joy in her garden, proudly growing small batches of produce.
Photo by Hedi Lee.
As she showed me photos of her plants using her free hand (the other was immobilized during the session), I noticed how dialysis had become just another part of her life.
When I asked if she made any friends throughout her years in dialysis, she recounted a story of a nurse from a previous centre who still recognised her in public years later.
The chance encounter with Maria, one of the nurses from the Kreta Ayer centre, led to a short catch-up over a cup of coffee.
Photo from Hedi Lee.
Though my short chat with Lee showed me how she had adapted to changes in her life with grace, I was curious whether this experience was unique to her.
Do all dialysis patients greet life with this much peace?
How do they arrive at a place where they still look forward to life outside of dialysis when these sessions take up a considerably significant amount of their time?
Not bowing to circumstances
With these questions in mind, I met Siti Azizah, 61, who greeted me with a warm wave as she walked towards me.
She had arrived earlier to chat with me, even though her session didn’t start until 5pm.
Photo by Michelle Chew.
Siti shared with me that she used to work the night shift in a factory.
The first indication of her need for dialysis came after she fell sick one day and her general practitioner (GP) referred her to Changi General Hospital (CGH) when Siti did not seem to be recovering well.
Despite the renal specialist from CGH confirming that there was a severe decrease in Siti’s kidney function to just 25 per cent, she put off starting dialysis.
Like many others, Siti’s fear of how dialysis would affect her daily living was a hurdle she could not overcome initially.
In fact, her journey with dialysis only started after she fell so ill one day that she could not get out of bed at all.
She returned to her GP, who again referred her to CGH for a further evaluation.
There, a renal specialist confirmed that Siti’s kidneys had failed and told her that she would need to start dialysis immediately, following an operation.
As if this wasn’t bad enough news, Siti also learnt that her daughter who also happens to be her main caregiver was retrenched during the same period.
Just as the mother-and-daughter duo were worrying about the impending medical expenses and dialysis costs, a social worker reached out to Siti.
She suggested the KDF Bishan centre to Siti as it was conveniently located near her home.
Much to Siti’s surprise, her dialysis sessions at KDF Bishan turned out to be free because the fees are fully covered by her Medisave and the subsidies that KDF provides.
Besides the financial support received, it was clear to me that Siti’s family is her biggest source of support.
Siti’s daughter accompanied her to every medical appointment to assure her and ensure she understood what lay ahead before the start of dialysis.
“She even got me cushions to make my dialysis sessions here more comfortable,” Siti said, arranging her pillows ahead of her 4.5-hour dialysis session.
Photo by Michelle Chew.
A welcoming and supportive community
Over time, she made friends and grew to appreciate the community here.
Dialysis patients often have fixed schedules, so they meet the same people regularly, forming bonds over shared experiences.
For Siti, she told me there used to be another patient who brought snacks for everyone, turning an otherwise medical routine into something more communal.
Photo by Michelle Chew.
The nurses, she added, play a big part in creating a positive experience for her.
“They’re patient and always ready to answer our questions. They even share health and diet tips with us,” Siti noted.
She also added that she always looks forward to outings arranged by KDF, from visits to Bird Paradise to Gardens by the Bay.
Photo from Siti Azizah.
Curious about these outings and the work behind the scenes, I spoke to Mar Mar Swe, an acting nurse manager at the KDF Bishan Dialysis Centre.
She shared that such outings not only cheer patients up but also provide doctors, nutritionists and experts opportunities to interact with them.
Photo from Siti Azizah.
These hospital experts shared a range of topics, from practical diet tips to simple exercises, all aimed at reminding and empowering patients to take better care of their health and well-being.
Photo from Siti Azizah.
Prior to starting her work at KDF in 2011, Mar Mar was a dialysis technician for five years.
With over 18 years of experience, Mar Mar’s dedication shone through as she described what a typical day in her life would look like.
Photo by Michelle Chew.
Besides ensuring things run smoothly in the centre, she conducts patients’ assessment, checks on their care plans, and provides a listening ear to the patients.
“We give advice on their food intake as it is very important for patients with kidney issues to take care of their diet,” Mar Mar said.
While most patients are cooperative, some initially struggle with the changes dialysis brings.
“Their rejection comes from a fear of the unknown,” she explained.
The team empathises with patients’ initial worries so they would take time to explain the process, give them tours of the centre, and even involve their families and social workers to help them adjust, Mar Mar shared.
She believes that the education and support helps alleviate the patient’s frustration towards the situation.
Mar Mar’s sincerity was palpable. “I want to journey with them and make sure they’re shown the best quality of care,” she said.
When asked if she managed to build a community that she’s proud of here, Mar Mar nodded with a slight smile on her face.
Finding joy in spite of it all
Before this visit, I have to admit that my impression of dialysis centres was that they are gloomy places where patients simply waited for their sessions to end without much interaction.
But my time at KDF painted a very different picture.
Lee and Siti, with their resilience and positivity, showed me that life doesn’t stop with dialysis. Whether it’s gardening or cooking meals for loved ones, they continue to find joy in the little things.
The centre itself felt more like a community club than a medical facility—thanks to the compassionate nurses like Mar Mar and the camaraderie among patients.
KDF provides highly subsidised dialysis treatments to needy kidney patients and carry out awareness efforts to educate the public on kidney health and kidney disease.
Find out more about KDF and how you can help here.
This branded article by Kidney Dialysis Foundation reminded the writer about the importance of accessible healthcare.
Top photos by Michelle Chew
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