‘ Textbook perfect’ transplant for Beyer

Former Wairarapa MP and Carterton mayor Georgina Beyer has had her kidney transplant and is determined to go home as soon as possible.

The world’s first openly transsexual mayor was first diagnosed with chronic end- stage renal failure during Easter 2013, and almost exactly four years later she is officially out of renal failure.

The transplant was supposed to take place in late March but was postponed at the last minute, a scenario Beyer described as a “nightmare” that left her devastated. She had built herself up for that surgery and “suddenly it was whipped away”.

But earlier this month both Beyer and her donor Grant Pittams came through the rescheduled surgeries well.

She said she had “textbook perfect” results and Pittams has been able to return home to Carterton.

“Grant is very happy to be back home, and recovering well,” Beyer said. “He’s ticking all the boxes too. His one kidney has picked up the work of the two, very well and very quickly.”

Beyer said following the surgery she was very sore but she was getting better every day.

She was meant to stay in Auckland for another month but her support person had a family emergency and could not stay with her.

“I can’t cope entirely by myself right now, but that’s why I am going back to Wellington.

“I do not want to be up here for a month while I am by myself.”

She said she had to be careful, and the post- operative care still ahead was “very gruelling”.

“I’m pretty vulnerable to infection right now and will be for a long time.”