A wife from Barnsley saved her husband’s life when his kidney function was at an ‘all time low’.
Emma Hodgson, 42, donated her kidney to her husband, Kieran Hodgson, 48, at the Sheffield Kidney Institute at the Northern General Hospital last month.
Ms Hodgson said: “Up until six months ago he had been living a full and unrestricted life and then he went downhill really sharply. I felt like we were running out of time.”
The couple have raised awareness of living donor transplants, because since surgery, Kieran has not suffered with any of the symptoms he used to experience.
He was diagnosed with a hereditary kidney disorder called polycystic kidney disease (PKD) 14 years ago.
Peter Joynson, Secretary of the Sheffield Area Kidney Association (SAKA), said: “Transplantation from a well-matched living donor is by far the best form of treatment for most people with chronic kidney disease.
“However, there can be a four-year wait for a matched kidney to become available, so there is a constant need to encourage more people to consider organ donation.”
SAKA is the local charity for kidney patients, and currently campaigns for more awareness through bus advertisements.
Dr Albert C Ong, Professor and Head of Renal Medicine at the University of Sheffield, said: “ADPKD is the fourth most common cause of kidney failure and leads to 10% of patients requiring kidney replacement therapy.
“Living donation is a first choice option in the UK if available due to the long waiting times for deceased organ donation and the longer survival of the donated kidney.”
Doctors at the Northern General hope to see an increase in the number of living kidney donations. In Sheffield, only about 20 occur yearly.
PKD is caused by a gene mutation or defect, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney diseases.
Jane Pugh, from the PKD Charity UK, said: “We invite patients and their family members at different stages of disease progression to come along for a full day, where they get to hear from clinicians.
“It gives them an opportunity to feel less isolated and be around others that know how they feel and what they’re going through.”
Ms Pugh mentioned how the charity has held events like this in Sheffield before.
The PKD Charity UK funds and promotes scientific research to work towards a cure and aim to improve outcomes for those living with PKD.