Fotini was just three-and-a-half years old when she was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious condition that gradually damages the kidneys and weakens the immune system.
From that moment on, her family's life became defined by hospital admissions, medical tests and uncertainty.
"For all these years we were constantly in and out of hospitals. We knew from the very beginning that one day she would need a transplant. We were told this usually happens around 10 years after diagnosis. In our case, she made it through 12 years," says her mother, Panayiota Vareli.
The family relocated to Cyprus in 2020. Fotini was initially treated by paediatric nephrologist Avraam Elias and later by paediatric nephrologist Eftychia Thodi, who also led the search for a donor.
Ms Vareli expressed gratitude to the doctors and staff at Makarios Hospital, whom she says supported the family throughout their journey.
An initial search for a compatible donor within the family proved unsuccessful. As a result, the process of a paired kidney exchange began in November 2025.
Two postponements
The first transplant date was scheduled for 2 March, but the war in the region disrupted those plans.
A second postponement followed in early June for procedural reasons.
"When the first operation was postponed, I told myself that every obstacle happens for a reason. I still believe that," she says.
Finally, on 13 July, a total of eight operations were carried out.
Ms Vareli entered surgery first, donating her kidney to a 27-year-old woman who needed a second transplant.
"From the moment I learned that I was compatible, it never crossed my mind to back out. It didn't matter to me that I wouldn't be giving my kidney directly to my child. I knew another stranger would do exactly the same for Fotini."
'I do it for my soul'
Shortly before the surgeries, donors and recipients met for the first time.
"We have truly become a family," she says.
It was there that she met Asaf, a 52-year-old altruistic donor who had no relative waiting for a transplant.
"I asked him why he was doing it. He simply replied: 'I do it for my soul.'"
It was Asaf who donated his kidney to Fotini.
"The doctors told us it is a large kidney that is functioning perfectly. We are incredibly grateful to him and to his family."
Ms Vareli says the hardest moment came when, for the first time in her daughter's life, she could not be by her side as she came out of surgery.
"All these years I was always next to her. This time I was in the room next door."
She also thanked the medical teams in Cyprus and Israel.
"They are people first and doctors second."
She stresses that the transplant does not mark the end of the journey.
"The new kidney requires constant care and monitoring. It doesn't mean everything is over."
Only two paediatric nephrologists
At the same time, Ms Vareli expressed concern that Cyprus has only two paediatric nephrologists, while paediatric transplants still have to be performed abroad, forcing families to face an additional ordeal away from home.
Today, however, after a 12-year struggle, she prefers to focus on the future.
With optimism.
And with the hope that Fotini can finally live the life she has been waiting for.
