I gave him my heart first, and then my kidney

I gave him my heart first, and then my kidney

By Fiach Kelly
Tuesday April 08 2008

'I'll get my husband back and my children will get their father back'

THE husband and wife at the centre of the first spouse-to-spouse kidney transplant in Irish history last night said all they hoped for was a return to normal life.

Ned and Deirdre Crowe spoke about their landmark operation from the Irish Kidney Association's renal support centre at Beaumont Hospital shortly before returning to their home in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, a week after the transplant procedure.

"My husband is going to be fitter, he's going to be stronger, he'll probably be able to return to work, he'll have more energy for our children," said 38-year-old Deirdre.

Ned (51), who came close to death last summer, said he was looking forward to going swimming and playing hurling with his three sons, David (14), Niall (7) and Sean (6).

Sacrifice

"We're looking forward to getting back to normal," said Ned. "My two small boys are after learning how to swim without me and I couldn't play hurling."

The couple's ordeal started when Ned was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago. Deirdre decided to make the enormous sacrifice for her husband after attending a polycystic kidney disease conference in the United States.

"They told us it was possible," she said. "When I came back, I came to Beaumont and met Dr JP Garvey last August. I asked him if we should not consider looking for a kidney. He asked who would give Ned a kidney and I said I would. Lucky enough, the two of us were O positive (blood group).

"It had to go to the ethics committee of Beaumont Hospital and they asked why I was doing this and I said: 'I'll get my husband back and my children will get their father back'."

In the run up to the operation, Deirdre underwent rigorous tests, with Ned claiming he got off relatively easy. She lost four stone as part of a fitness regime.

"They did turn me upside down and inside out," student nurse Deirdre said.

"They did every test imaginable on my kidneys, my bladder, and my heart. They did diabetes tests too. I had a two-hour psychology appointment to make sure there was no-one coercing me into it."

"I didn't see anyone until last Thursday week -- days before the operation. It was all down to Deirdre," added Ned.

On the morning of the procedure, Deirdre and Ned were side by side in adjacent operating theatres. In the space of 10 minutes, Deirdre's kidney was taken out and given to her husband.

"We didn't see each other until the next day and I think that was a good thing because we could be patients on our own," said Deirdre.

"I actually walked down to Ned's bed and said: 'Here I am', and saw he was better than me, so I went back to bed!"

For Ned, his recovery was quick and enabled him to enjoy the smaller things.

"I was flying. eight o'clock that night I stopped the morphine and went on to the paracetamol. No bother. Tuesday, I had bacon and cabbage. I tell you, it was lovely. I don't miss dialysis, that's one sure thing."

But there's one thing he's looking forward to tasting above all.

"Ah, stop. A glass of milk -- real milk. I'd drink it from the cow if I had it!"

- Fiach Kelly

http://www.independent.ie/health/lastest-news/i-gave-him-my-heart-first-and-then-my-kidney-1341276.html
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