A stranger’s generosity in 2012 will forever be remembered by Deb Donnelly and her family as a life-changing gift.
The gift came in the form a donated kidney, following a diagnosis from her doctor in 2003 that her body was going in to renal failure at the age of 46.
Deb would go on to complete dialysis treatment three times a week to maintain normal renal function while on the wait list for a suitable kidney to become available.
“My life revolved around dialysing. Last-minute breaks were out of the question, my fluid intake had to be carefully monitored and I couldn’t even enjoy a mango at Christmas,” Deb said.
“So many aspects of my life were limited, things you simple take for granted, but I was grateful dialysis treatment was keeping me alive and really lucky to have support from my family and friends.
“My treating team at the Base Hospital were also amazing and became like family.”
An early morning phone call in 2012 from the Queensland Kidney Transplant Service advised a donor kidney had become available after nine years on the wait list.
Deb said she needed to make her way to the airport as soon as possible in preparation for her long-awaited kidney transplant.
“I arrived at the PA Hospital before my kidney, giving me ample time to get ready for the transplant procedure,” she said.
“After the procedure I needed to stay in hospital for three months, which is a lot longer than most transplant recipients, but I had some issues that included a plasma exchange.”
Following her successful kidney transplant Deb now leads a normal life that she describes as “freedom”, something she hadn’t experienced for almost a decade.
“Receiving a new kidney means so much. I can now enjoy more time with my five grandchildren, eat a wide range of food without worrying how it will affect me and participate in a normal, everyday activities with family and friends again,” she said.
“For someone, a stranger, to make such a generous decision around donating their organs….it just blows me away.
“I thank my lucky stars every day.”
Today marks DonateLife Thank You Day, an Organ and Tissue Authority initiative providing an opportunity to reflect on the importance of organ and tissue donation and acknowledging the generosity of donors and their families.
Around 1,700 people are currently wait listed for a transplant. A further 12,000 people are on dialysis of whom many would benefit from a kidney transplant.
Registering to be an organ and tissue donor is quick and easy using the online form via www.donatelife.gov.au and could potentially save the lives of many.
Media Contact:
Amie Galletly| Communications Officer | 4885 6808
