A woman has revealed how her pet dog saved her life after sniffing out an organ donor on a trip to the beach.
Lucy Humphrey, 44, was suffering from kidney failure after bravely enduring Lupus for 15 years.
The debilitating condition causes inflammation in the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and joints and her kidneys had finally failed.
In 2019 Lucy, from Caerphilly, was given the daunting news she might only have five years to live without a transplant.
Then one day in 2021 Lucy took a trip to the beach in Barry, south Wales, with her boyfriend Cenydd Owen, 49.
While there, her Doberman dog Indie became fascinated with another beachgoer. The stranger was Katie James, a 40-year-old, from Barry.
The trio struck up conversation and were amazed to discover Katie had just gone on the kidney donation register.
Katie and Lucy swapped numbers and contacted a donor coordinator the next day.
Lucy told the BBC: "She had all the tests and it turned out she was a perfect match.
"A surgeon told us it's a one in 22 million chance to find the perfect match, and that's what I needed as I've got Lupus."
The transplant went ahead on 3 October 2022 at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and was a success.
Katie said: "I feel really lucky that I got to know Lucy, I know that it has worked and I know that she's out there living her life. To me, there's been no negative to it whatsoever.
"I feel really proud of myself, I get embarrassed sometimes though as every time I'm out with my nan she will tell a stranger 'oh my granddaughter donated a kidney.
"It's the best thing I've ever done and I feel so proud of myself and my family are proud of me."
Lucy added: "It was the fact that Indie almost sussed her out and chose her."
Lucy's partner Cenydd said: "We ended up going to Barry by total chance, meeting Katie by total chance, and Lucy's ended up with a kidney.
"We want to show that there is always hope for people.
"Never give in, because you never know, we weren't even going to go to the beach that day. There's a lot of good people out there."
