A Scots dad whose sore head turned out to be stage five kidney disease has been given a second chance at life thanks to the kindness of a stranger.
Chris Madden, 42, from Edinburgh, was dumbfounded when he and his wife Beverley, 43, were told he had aggressive kidney disease in 2020. The dad of two went from regularly running marathons and being full of life to being barely able to play with his children.
He was so ill that within just three weeks of his shock diagnosis, he began gruelling dialysis and was almost immediately put on the donor waiting list in the hope a match could be found.
Chris said: “It was quite a shock – I had been to the doctor with a sore head and suddenly I was told that my kidneys didn’t work, I would have to have dialysis and a kidney transplant. I have always been someone who keeps fit and healthy, but this came about due to a very rare scarring on my kidneys.
"It’s just unlucky I suppose. As soon as I went on dialysis, I pretty much disappeared from my two young kids.
"I always had energy, but it became hard enough to muster enough energy to play with the children for half an hour - and that absolutely broke me.”
The dad feared he was 'running out of time' before he met big-hearted Val Cooper 48, who turned the family’s life around. After reading a story about altruistic organ donation, the mum, from Glen Urquhart in the Highlands, knew she wanted to help.
Val worked with the living donation team in Inverness to make sure that the operation could go ahead while the living donation teams across the country set about finding the perfect match.
Her hopes were almost dashed when doctors found she had an aneurysm on her kidney, but they were able to fix it and carry on.
Val, who works in a third sector charity café, said: "I was heartbroken that I might not get to donate, but doctors said they were hopeful they could fix it and continue with the donation process. This was a no brainer for me, I was so certain that I wanted to give my organ to someone who needed it.”
Chris and Val underwent the life-changing living donation and kidney transplant surgeries at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) during the pandemic in June 2021.
Val said: “Donating my kidney has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done and I have absolutely no regrets. The living donor transplant team at the RIE were amazing and I was back to work within six weeks after the operation.”
Fourteen months on, Chris is able to play with his young children Harry, 8, and Georgia, 4, and has even started running again.
He said: “I was really worried that I was running out of time, but when the team found a match for me, I couldn’t believe it. When I was being wheeled out of theatre and realised the transplant had been successful, I started shouting for joy and the nurses had to calm me down.
“I really can’t imagine someone donating to a stranger. It’s the most selfless act, which can only be described as beautiful.”
Shortly after the transplant, Chris got in touch and the pair corresponded by letter for a few months. They have agreed to meet so that Chris can properly thank Val in person and she can see the huge difference that her selfless gift has made.
Chris said: “I knew that the donor had an aneurysm on her kidney, but I knew that this kidney would give me my life back with my family. I think it will be pure emotion when I meet Val, I don’t even know how to put into words how thankful I am.”
Val added: “I knew there was a chance that I would never find out who I gave my kidney to but I can’t wait to meet Chris - it will be such an emotional meeting.”
For many people with end stage kidney failure, a transplant significantly increases life expectancy. However, the shortage of organ donors in the UK means that many patients will wait on average three years for a kidney from a deceased donor.
According to the NHS Lothian Living Kidney Donation team, only around a third of living donor transplants in Edinburgh are from a genetically related donor, and often a direct living donor may be a spouse, partner, friend or work colleague.
Nina Kunkel, Chris and Val’s Transplant Co-ordinator, who is based in the RIE, NHS Lothian, said: “This was quite an unusual situation where our altruistic donor wanted to have her kidney removed not alone as treatment for her aneurysm, but in hope that once removed, the aneurysm could be repaired so that her kidney could still be donated to someone in need.
"We couldn’t confirm it was possible until her kidney was removed but the team were delighted that we could facilitate her wishes and equally pleased that the transplant was such a success for the recipient. We wish them both the very best.”
To find out more about Organ and Tissue Donation, please visit the website here.
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