Donating a kidney
Another advantage of discovering Dan’s kidney problems early on was that it allowed the family to plan ahead.
Brian says: “I got myself checked when Dan was young and found out I would be a match for a kidney transplant. It was good knowing that at some point I’d be able to provide that for him. We wanted to arrange for the transplant to happen so he wouldn’t have to go onto dialysis, and that’s how it worked out.
“We were able to schedule the operation for July 2023, at a time which was best for us. It was in between Dan finishing his A-levels and starting university, and fitted around my job, for which I often work abroad in Africa.
“For years I was on tenterhooks hoping my kidneys would be okay when the time came. The build-up to the operation is scary, everything must be perfect, and there is always concern it won’t be successful.
“Giving up a kidney wasn’t a problem for me at all and I’d do it again in a heartbeat, but it was in the back of my mind that it could be rejected. That would have been devastating, but fortunately everything went well. Our doctors, nurses, and consultants in Newcastle, and across the UK, do a fantastic job.
“Initially for me it was quite sore, and painful to use the toilet or lay in bed, but by the second week there was a lot less discomfort and after a month I wouldn’t even have known I’d had an operation if it wasn’t for a small scar.
“For Dan, the kidney is functioning as it should and he’s living his life. He was always a cricketer, and he’s been able to start playing again this season after missing most of last year. It’s good to see him getting back into his sports again and getting back to normal.”
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- Source: https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/2024/06/11/joining-kidney-research-uks-newcastle-bridges-walk-after-donating-a-kidney-to-my-son/