Soraya Kadri's kidney transplant
Soraya Kadri, 27, received a new kidney at Guy’s Hospital through a paired donation in March 2014. She has since formed a close friendship with the stranger who changed her life.
Soraya KadriShe explains: “I wasn’t coping well with dialysis. I was on the transplant list but it felt a bit like all hope was lost.”
Soraya was told she would need a transplant when she was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease at the age of just 20. Her dad donated a kidney but problems which developed after the transplant operation meant the donated organ had to be removed.
However, one of Soraya’s friends was a match for another patient in the shared donation scheme – for people who offer a kidney to a stranger – and that patient’s relative was in turn a match for Soraya.
Soraya says: “I am so grateful to my donor and also to my friend. Because of their kindness, two lives have been changed.”
Ted Harrison's kidney transplant
Ted Harrison, an artist and kidney patient, created The Cherry Tree, 25 years after his kidney transplant at Guy’s.
This new artwork is made out of stainless steel and forms a cherry tree that also resembles a kidney.
Ted Harrison with his artwork 'The Cherry Tree' at Guy's HospitalTed explains: “Designing The Cherry Tree has been poignant for me as it marks the 25th anniversary of my own kidney transplant which is still going strong.
“Cherry trees also hold a special significance because a flowering cherry was planted several years ago in memory of my own donor. I was never told the name of my donor but I have corresponded with their family anonymously.
“I’m hugely pleased to have the chance to express in art my gratitude to the donor – the friend I never knew.”
Geoff Koffman, the surgeon who carried out Ted’s transplant in 1990, still works at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and was also at the unveiling.
He says: “Having operated on Ted 25 years ago, it’s wonderful to see him in such good health. Huge advances have been made in kidney transplantation. In 1990 around 30% of transplanted kidneys would be rejected by recipients’ bodies, but that figure is now just 2-3%. We now regularly see transplants lasting a quarter of a century or more.”
John Connor's kidney transplant
John Connor from Sydenham needed a kidney but it came from an unexpected source – his work colleague at the HM Revenue and customs. Julia Hawkes from Walthamstow donated her kidney after John’s stopped working due to a childhood condition called reflux nephropathy.
For most patients with a kidney condition, this means spending 3-4 hours in a dialysis unit, several times a week until a suitable donor can be found. Fortunately for John, he was able to find a donor and the operation took place at Guy’s in May 2010.
John said: “At first I was surprised, but I was extremely grateful to Julia. My condition had deteriorated and I had to take things easy. If you’re on dialysis you have to get your head down and get on with it, but it’s an uphill struggle.
“The transplant transformed my life. That’s not to say it’s all been plain sailing as I have suffered with rejection and caught chicken pox, but I now have the energy to enjoy a full life which I owe to Julia’s incredible kindness.
Julia added: “For me the best thing about going through the donation process is seeing how John is now compared with how he was before. He looks so healthy sometimes I forget what we’ve been through.
“One of the other major advantages for me is that it is the ‘gift that keeps giving’ because I am now able to help others who are either going through the procedure or who are thinking about donating.”
Nicholas Palmer's kidney transplant
Another recipient of a new kidney from a live donation is Nicholas Palmer from Peckham. He waited 6 years for a transplant which failed, and last October he had a kidney transplant at Guy’s and St Thomas’. He received the kidney from his wife.
Nicholas said: “I had chronic kidney disease which meant I had to have dialysis 3 times a week, which left me feeling exhausted, gave me headaches and affected my concentration.
“I was on a very strict diet – meaning no chocolate or chips and only a very limited amount of fluid. Going on holiday was difficult, as I still I had to undergo dialysis.
“The donation system is there for all of us, should we or our family and friends need it, but it relies on all of us for it to work – you never know when you or a loved one may need it."