In the spirit of Christmas
A Temuka woman on 28 pills a day following a kidney transplant is opening her Christmas-decorated home to raise money for a charity close to her heart.
For a gold coin donation to the Christchurch Kidney Society, visitors to the Harris Place property of Sharlene and Ken Heaphy can marvel at a house filled inside and out with decorations that have taken 30 years to collect.
‘‘Each year we do something for the community and try to raise funds,’’ Sharlene Heaphy said.
‘‘This year, it’s for the kidney society . . . so they can buy gifts to give to [kidney transplant] recipients and people on dialysis.’’
The 60-year-old was happy to give back to a charity which helped her through three months of isolation following a kidney transplant in 2018.
Heaphy had inherited autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which caused ‘‘big watery cysts’’ to grow in her kidneys until they no longer functioned – at which point her sister, who did not have the gene, donated a kidney to her.
‘‘We’re a tissue match but not a blood match, so they had to strip out the antibodies before I could have the transplant. You become really weak and really tired,’’ Heaphy said.
‘‘My daughter’s got the gene, she’s 31 and her kidney function is going, but her brother doesn’t. He’s quite happy to give her one of his kidneys because of how well it worked for me.’’
Heaphy stifled a sob as she recalled receiving gifts from the kidney society during the isolation period.
‘‘You feel quite alone when you’re in the hospital and the gifts remind you there are people waiting for you, who are going to support you and keep you on track,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m on 28 pills a day for the rest of my life. It’s just getting your head around all these changes, and knowing there are people you can call on.’’
The couple have been decorating their home for Christmas for 30 years, turning the family tradition into a fundraiser in 2018.
‘‘We started out with crepe paper when the kids were little because we couldn’t afford much, and each year we add to it,’’ she said.
The first fundraiser accrued about $1000 for Organ Donation New Zealand, while the second benefited Arowhenua and ‘‘underprivileged children’’.
‘‘Each year we do something for the community and try to raise funds.’’ Sharlene Heaphy
The couple’s home at 23B Harris Place will be open each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.