Samiir, avid trekker, marketing head and on dialysis!

"It has been 11 years since both of (Samiir) Halady’s kidneys failed, when he was only 28. Since then, he has needed dialysis to survive. But still, Halady says proudly, he has managed to live life with few compromises.

An MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, Halady now heads the marketing team of a digital agency, which manages advertisements on the internet. It was sheer courage, once his body started failing him, that kept him going. Halady’s condition means that he cannot ever cheat on his special diet, and has to undergo dialysis twice every week."

I am proud to say that Samiir Halady is a great friend. We've met each other only once! We share a lot. Both of us were hit by kidney disease at a very young age. There's one very important difference though. Samiir treks! Yes, that's right! He goes on arduous weekend treks around Mumbai with a group he founded called V-Hikerz.

Trekking is a very strenuous activity. Even many people with functioning kidneys would find it difficult. Yet, week after week, Samiir heads out on his weekend trips taking in the beauty of the mountains, the music of the waterfalls and the mystique of the forests, living his dreams.

On his blog, Samiir says, "Life with Renal Failure and hemodialysis is not so bad. There are ways to live a full life." Samiir shows us all how to do this!

Samiir's amazing story was featured in the latest issue of Open, a magazine from which the above extract is taken.