The gift of life – one brother gives kidney to the other

[okarol]

The gift of life – one brother gives kidney to the other

By Anwen Evans
Oct 4 2007

A MID Wales man has given his brother a lifesaving gift by donating one of his kidneys.

John Williams, 46, of Llanfair Caereinion, was diagnosed with renal failure in November 2004 and up until May this year, he was having to undergo dialysis treatment for a lengthy 10 hours every night.

Mr Williams decided to go on the transplant list but after months of waiting there was no sign of a kidney being available. With his health continuing to deteriorate, his brothers and sisters agreed to undergo tests to see if they would be a match for a live donor transplant.

Luckily his brother, 39-year-old Mark Williams, of Pantydwr, near Rhayader, was found to be the best match and the successful transplant operation was performed earlier this year on May 4, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

John Williams said: "We were both back at work weeks later. This gift I have received from my brother has improved my quality of life, and I am forever grateful to Mark.

"The difference in me after my transplant has been amazing. I felt better straight away and had so much more energy.

"I have more freedom now than I did on dialysis and I feel blessed and ever thankful to my brother who gave me back my life. He came to my aid and I would encourage others with kidney disease to explore the possibilities of kidney transplants.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank not only my brother but the incredible team of experts and professionals at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and everyone who was involved in our transplant journey."

Mark Williams said: "We lost our sister back in June 2006 and
we didn't want to lose a brother too, so we all thought we'd undergo the tests and I was found to be the best match.

"I'm so glad I did it because John is now able to have a good quality of life and spend time enjoying his grandchildren. Of course there were times after the operation when I got a bit down, but I made a remarkable recovery and was back at work eight weeks later.

"My baby son Jacob, who is now 13 weeks old, was also born weeks later.

"The main point I want to get across to readers is that live transplants are good and I would urge people to consider them, because it saved my brother.

"What a lot of people don't realise is that within 12 months my kidney will grow and will have a 95 per cent capacity of the two.

"It is also 50 per cent less likely for a person's body to reject a live kidney.

"I'm still fit and healthy and I'm glad I did what I did."

http://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/The-gift-of-life-.3259405.jp