Another kidneyversary to celebrate
While waiting for a suitable match to be found, Grace had peritoneal dialysis for 10 hours a day over a period of 17 months.
Elaine says: “Waiting for a match was agony. It’s that constant state of not knowing, always wondering, ‘will it be today?’ It’s horrible to be constantly on alert, in case the phone rings. But last August, a match for one of Paul’s kidneys was found and that person’s healthy partner was a match for another patient – whose partner was in turn a match for Grace.”
The operation finally took place in September 2023, and both Grace and Paul have recovered well.
Elaine says: “Paul coped with the operation so much better than I did. He was up and about in days, whereas it took me a good four weeks before I started to feel OK. I’ve had another child since I donated and Paul’s completely back to normal, so it’s fine. We’ve even got matching scars. And this year, Paul and Grace will celebrate their first kidneyversary.”
Having watched two of her children go through the kidney transplant process, Elaine is passionate about raising awareness of organ donation. She says: “Donation is vitally important and if you want to donate after your death, you should make your wishes known. For a family like us, with experience of being on the deceased waiting list, we’ve really been through the agony of waiting for a donor. By donating, you can change someone else’s life entirely.”
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- Source: https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/2024/03/19/celebrating-my-two-daughters-kidneyversaries/