A woman from Glasgow donated her kidney to her cousin who lives 400 miles away in Chelmsford.
Margaret McCabe saw the suffering her cousin Mary Morrison went through and decided she wanted to help.
Mary, aged 56 at the time, suffered from polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and her kidneys were deteriorating as a result of the condition. Doctors warned her that she would need a life-saving transplant or be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
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Her husband and immediate friends in London were ruled out as possible donors so her Glaswegian cousin stepped up to donate her kidney and allow Mary to live a full life again.
Margaret, who was 61-years-old at the time, in 2019, is from a different branch of the family unaffected by PKD, a hereditary condition.
The cousins went through tests over ten months to determine whether Margaret would be a match, but doctors also needed to be sure that the organ would survive the flight to the capital.
The pair were daunted by the logistical challenge of transporting the organ, but ultimately decided to have the two operations apart.
Margaret said: “I remember seeing Mary go through the whole ordeal of finding a donor, she looked so tired, and her breathing was just shallow. She told me that her husband Keith’s tests had come back as negative and while she was still waiting for some of her friends to come back, it wasn’t looking positive.
"In July 2019 I donated one of my kidneys to my cousin Mary because she needed it and I wanted to. It was a very easy choice to make, and although my life was hectic at the time, I knew I needed to step up to the plate.
"There is nothing I regret about it and If I had a further available spare kidney I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Mary added: “Margaret and I had discussed having the operation in the same building, but we decided that the most important thing was to have both of us surrounded by family as the procedures took place.
"The hospital kept me informed of when Margaret had finished in the operating room and the organ was in transit. It was a weird feeling and I wondered where the kidney was on its journey down to London.
"I can remember the moment we were told that the kidney was in the building, a mix of relief, anxiety and worry took over me as I realised that this was really going to happen.”
The transplant was a success and the pair have told their story in a new book titled The miracle of live kidney donation – in flies the leading lady.
It takes the reader through the tense and emotional moments before, during and after the transplant. Unfortunately, transplants are not a cure for kidney disease, meaning that the book is unable to offer readers a fairy-tale ending.
With transplants lasting between 15 to 20 years on average, it is possible that Mary will have to release a sequel.
However, the authors want the book to offer a glimmer of hope to kidney disease patients facing the prospect of transplantation.
They also believe that it could be help teach the general public about the realities of the disease and encourage people to consider organ donation. Proceeds from the book will be donated to the charity Kidney Research UK.
With a foreword from footballing legend and transplant recipient Andrew Cole, the book provides transplant patients with helpful insight, especially those preparing for a living donor transplant.
It will be unveiled at a popular annual fundraising event in aid of Kidney Research UK. The cousins will introduce their project to guests at the Purple Ball being held at the Radisson BLU Glasgow on Saturday, February 11.
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