Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Wedding put on ice to save Craig’s life
Kidney op hours before his big day
A young Airdrie dad who has lived with a debilitating kidney disease for a decade finally received a lifechanging transplant – hours before he was due to be married.
Craig Ferguson’s head had barely touched the pillow after a long day of wedding planning during the early hours of Thursday when he was stirred from his sleep by a momentous call f rom doctors, informing him they had found a matching kidney.
Just nine hours later he was in theatre undergoing major surgery.
By his side throughout was wife-to-be Christina, who has called Craig’s new kidney and subsequent recovery “the best wedding present ever – the gift of life”.
Craig Ferguson should have been resting in bed, dreaming about his upcoming nuptials and tinkering with his speech.
But the Plains dad-of-two was stirred from his sleep just two days before he was due to marry fiancée Christina Ferguson by a call from doctors delivering the news she described as “the best wedding present ever – the gift of life”.
Craig, 26, has lived with a debilitating renal disease for almost 10 years.
After spending the last 12 months anxiously awaiting a new kidney he finally received the call to tell him a match had been found.
Just nine hours later, instead of pressing his suit and making sure his best man had the rings, Craig was in theatre preparing for a life-saving fourhour operation in Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
A relieved Christina, 24, told the Advertiser: “Craig and I were to be married at The Georgian Hotel in Coatbridge on Saturday but we got a phone call at 2am on Thursday to say there was a kidney ready for Craig.
“It was a shock to get the call and we were hit with this life- changing decision on the eve of our big day.
“But it was a no-brainer as Craig desperately needed the surgery and he was in theatre at 11am on Thursday.
“The wedding was all planned so we had to make a lot of frantic phone calls to cancel things but thankfully everyone was extremely understanding and helpful.”
Craig was diagnosed with kidney disease back in 2008 and since last October he had been receiving dialysis treatment three times a week at Monklands Hospital.
Christina said: “It has been a very difficult time for Craig. He was going for his dialysis for hours and then heading straight to his job as an engineer inspector for the shipyards.
“His condition was in the near-later stages when he was diagnosed and the past nine years have taken their toll on his body.
“We’ve had an anxious wait over the past 12 months since Craig was put on the list for a new kidney and were told that the call could come at any time.
“And last week proved exactly that, as we never expected to get the phone call less than two days before our wedding.
“Craig has been doing really well since his surgery and is even up and walking about.
“I’ve been in seeing him with the kids every day and we’re hoping he will be back home later this week.”
Craig and Christina met in Caldercruix 13 years ago and were engaged in 2011.The couple – proud parents of Hayden, seven, and Lilly, three – hope to be able to tie the knot next month.
Christina said: “We would like to thank the Monklands renal unit and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s transplant unit ward 4C for the wonderful care they have given Craig.
“A big thanks also goes to Keith at The Pend Studio in Musselburgh, Kayleigh Higgins at All Dolled Up in Coatdyke, Coatbridge Registry Office and The Georgian Hotel for their understanding of the circumstances that led to the cancellation of our wedding.
“They are all showing great support and have told us they will do all they can to accommodate us on our new wedding date.”
Elaine Scott, assistant registrar at Coatbridge registry office, said: “On Friday we received a call from a relative of Craig and Christina, telling us about their situation.
“It was certainly one of the most unusual calls to cancel a wedding booking we’ve ever had but it was absolutely no problem for us to cancel.
“We were delighted to hear Craig’s news and wish him well with his recovery.
“Their rescheduled wedding will be a double celebration and, although all weddings are special, this really will be a great day for them and I’m looking forward to it.”
Brendan Crozier, general manager of The Georgian Hotel, said: “We wish Craig a speedy recovery and when he is back on his feet, we will get together with him and Christina and do everything we can to help them enjoy the best wedding day possible.”
We had to make a lot of frantic calls to cancel things but everyone was helpful Christina