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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-26/marcos-torso.webp" alt="Ferdinand Marcos Sr. " loading="lazy" />
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(December 8, 1984, then 67-year-old Marcos lifted his shirt in front of his cabinet in a television program aired on a state-run network in an effort to prove that he did not undergo major surgery.)
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<h2>
The Underlying Medical Condition
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Marcos's kidney problems stemmed from <b class="lt-bold">systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)</b>, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body's antibodies attack its own tissues, including vital organs such as the kidneys. By 1979, after displaying symptoms of hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) and hyperuricemia (elevated uric acid levels), Marcos began showing alarming signs of renal dysfunction. His blood pressure skyrocketed during this period, and he suffered multiple problems with his heart, lungs, stomach, and prostate. On <time datetime="1979-09-24">September 24, 1979</time>, Marcos underwent his first hemodialysis treatment, marking the beginning of what would become an ongoing struggle with kidney failure. Ironically, this dialysis initially controlled his hypertension, allowing him to maintain a full schedule, though he occasionally required emergency dialysis sessions due to pulmonary infections.
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Despite the severity of his condition, Marcos made extraordinary efforts to conceal his illness from the public. Associates and confidants noted his elaborate cover-up mechanisms, including strategic absences from public view that were attributed to mundane reasons. The U.S. State Department received multiple confidential reports about Marcos's deteriorating health, with cables from September 1979 mentioning rumors that he required twice-weekly dialysis treatments. In reality, Marcos was deeply paranoid about public disclosure of his medical condition, fearing that any revelation of his serious illness could trigger political instability or embolden his opponents.
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<h2>
The First Transplant: August 1983
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Marcos underwent his first kidney transplant in August 1983, performed by Dr. G. Baird Helfrich, director of renal transplants for Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., along with American specialists. The operation took place at the Philippine National Kidney Foundation (later called the National Kidney Transplant Institute) in Manila. <b class="lt-bold">Dr. Enrique Ona</b>, a renowned kidney transplant specialist who would later serve as Philippine Secretary of Health, participated in coordinating the procedure.
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The identity of the first kidney donor remains a subject of historical debate. According to one widely-cited account from TIME Magazine, the kidney came from <b class="lt-bold">a soldier in Marcos's presidential security command</b>. However, in 2002, <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2758/today-in-philippine-history-september-13-1957-ferdinand-romualdez-marcos-jr-17th-president-of-the-philippines-was-born-in-batac-ilocos-norte" class="news_link">Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.</a>, Marcos's son and current Philippine President, publicly admitted for the first time that he had donated one of his kidneys to his father in 1983. This admission came decades after the operation, suggesting the original account may have been a cover story to protect the family's privacy at the time.
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The transplant proved tragic in its outcome. The kidney was rejected by Marcos's body, and it had to be removed within 48 hours of the operation, leaving Marcos fighting for his life. The timing of this medical crisis coincided with one of the most pivotal moments in Philippine history: August 21, 1983, just days after Marcos's transplant surgery.
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<h2>
The Critical Context: The Ninoy Aquino Assassination
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On August 21, 1983, <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/778/today-in-philippine-history-november-27-1932-benigno-aquino-jr-was-born-in-concepcion-tarlac" class="news_link">Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.</a>, a prominent opposition senator and longtime rival of Marcos, was <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/516/today-in-philippine-history-august-21-1983-ninoy-aquino-was-assassinated" class="news_link">assassinated at Manila International Airport</a> upon his return from three years of exile in the United States. The assassination would become the catalyst that ultimately triggered Marcos's downfall three years later.
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<p>
During this period, Marcos was gravely weakened by his first failed transplant, recovering in relative seclusion as his body rejected the organ. Some historians have speculated that Marcos's debilitated physical state during this crisis had political implications, potentially affecting decision-making at the highest levels of government during this tumultuous time. In his 2012 memoir, Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile noted that he and other officials saw Marcos "pale and very weak" during a visit to the guest house in the days following the surgery.
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<h2>
The Second Transplant: November 1984
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After the failure of his first transplant, Marcos underwent a second kidney transplant operation in November 1984. This procedure was performed by <b class="lt-bold">Dr. Barry Kahan</b>, director of transplantation at Houston's Hermann Hospital and a renowned transplant specialist, again at the National Kidney Foundation in Manila.
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The second transplant proved more successful than the first, with the kidney engrafting successfully in Marcos's body. According to TIME Magazine and other accounts, the donor for this second transplant was <b class="lt-bold">a 22-year-old son of Marcos's longtime masseur</b>. This kidney, unlike the first, was accepted by Marcos's body and remained functional for several years, providing the aging dictator with additional time.
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During this period, rumors about Marcos's serious illness began circulating more openly in international circles. U.S. intelligence reports assessed that Marcos was suffering from lupus and had undergone kidney transplants, though his body had rejected organs "each time" according to some assessments. In January 1986, just weeks before the People Power Revolution that would topple his regime, U.S. intelligence reports described Marcos as "seriously ill" with lupus "complicated by diabetes," noting that he was "so weakened" that he had to limit his campaign activities.
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History of the Ferdinand E. Marcos Kidney Transplants