Sister’s celebrate gift of life 40 years after pioneering transplant surgery
(Pearl Anderson (left) and Dawn Plant (right) with Kay Dimmick, University Hospitals of North Midlands Clinical Nurse Specialist)
Two sisters from Stoke-on-Trent are marking 40 years since a life saving kidney transplant.
Dawn Plant, 64, from Cellarhead was generously given a kidney from her older sister after discovering she needed a transplant because her kidneys were very small and had not grown since childhood.
Following her diagnosis in 1982 Dawn went on to experience three years of complications and illness due to the size of her kidneys and had to have dialysis under the Renal Unit at the former North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary. She is still under the care of UHNM’s Renal Unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Her sister Pearl Anderson said: “In the February of 1985 I was visiting Dawn as she was admitted to hospital with peritonitis. While I was there, I approached the nurses about kidney donations and if I could be a potential donor for Dawn. Following some tests to find out if I would be a compatible donor, it was determined that I was a perfect match for Dawn.”
Four weeks later both Dawn and Pearl underwent transplant surgery at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, making history by becoming Stoke-on-Trent’s first live donors.
This weekend, Saturday 15 March marks 40 years since Pearl was able to donate her kidney and the gift of life to her sister.
Dawn Plant said: “After my kidney transplant, my life was absolutely fabulous. I was able to work and live a normal life just like anyone body else and for that I have my sister to thank.”
32 years after Dawns first kidney transplant, she started to experience issues with the donated kidney and needed to go on the transplant list which could have ended up in a five year long wait but this time her husband stepped in a donated her a kidney.
Dawn added: “When we realised that I needed another kidney transplant both my husband Glyn and son Tim came forward. It was decided that Glyn would be the one to donate one of his kidneys to me which was wonderful and it meant that we could carry on living life to the full. We are now both retired, have been married for 45 years and have two grandchildren so it is fantastic that this gift has allowed us to keep enjoying our life together as a family.”
Glyn, who is now 65, donated one of his kidneys to Dawn in 2018.
Pearl, who was 26 at the time of donating her kidney, said: “Living donation is just fabulous. It is 40 years on and I have lived a lovely life with only one kidney and have been able to have two children and great health. After seeing Dawn’s quality of life improve so much, I would really recommend that people look into living donation as it really is just brilliant.”
Kay Dimmick, University Hospitals of North Midlands Clinical Nurse Specialist for live kidney donation, said: “This story of donation is just amazing. How it started with Dawn, and in the end three people coming forward to help her is really fantastic. I was there for Glyn’s donation so to be able to watch this evolve over the years is something really special that we have been able to be a part of and continue to be in the years to come.”
“Currently there are 6,000 people on the waiting list in the UK for a kidney transplant and so many of them could benefit from a living donor. It is really important that people research the benefit of donating a kidney and how it can transform peoples lives, just like Dawn.”
Find out more about living donation here: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/become-a-living-donor/