A Glasgow woman has described the "tense and emotional" journey she went through, after donating a kidney to her cousin who lived 400 miles away.
Kind Margaret McCabe decided she wanted to help Mary Morrison, who was suffering from polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which causes the kidneys to deteriorate. Doctors had warned 56-year-old Mary, who lived in London, that she would need a life-saving transplant or be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
After it was discovered that none of Mary's friends or close family were matches, Margaret decided she would get tested to see if she was a suitable donor.
Margaret, who was 61-years-old at the time, in 2019, is from a different branch of the family unaffected by PKD, which is a hereditary condition. After going through months of tests to check they were compatible, the pair were faced with the logistical challenge of transporting the vital organ.
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.”
Following the success of the transplant the cousins have told their new story in a tell-all book titled The miracle of live kidney donation – in flies the leading lady. In the book, they share the tense and emotional days before, during and after the surgery.
Unfortunately, transplants are not a cure for kidney disease, usually lasting for between 15 to 20 years on average before another replacement is needed.
Mary and Margaret hope the book will offer some comfort to those suffering from the disease, who now face the decision to undergo transplant. 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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