PERFECT MATCH
Dad-of-four Martin gets new lease of life thanks to Johan’s sacrifice
WHEN Martin Ross proposed to wife Johan 20 years ago, he knew she was the perfect match.
But the 48-year-old was stunned when their compatibility ended up saving his life – after she gave him one of her kidneys.
The father-of-four, who had been suffering renal failure for 10 years, is now back to full health and hailed his wife for the sacrifice she made for him.
Martin said: “She’s given me my life back. What she has done for me has al tered t he whol e dynamics of how we live, just to be able to live a normal life.
“I’ve got health and energy and a massive weight of uncertainty has been lifted. It’s given me a new start.”
And he admitted: “I’m so well now, it’s easy to forget the sacrifice she made and take it for granted.”
The transplant went ahead at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary last August when Martin’s kidney function had plummeted to just five per cent.
By that point, he was constantly exhausted and his body struggled to cope with a build up of toxins. He faced a life on dialysis and a successful transplant was his only hope.
The couple, from the Black Isle, Ross-shire, now joke how they truly are a “perfect match”, as the y l ook forward to doing all the things they have been unabl e to because of his ill health.
By sharing their story – 60 years after the first living kidney donation – they hope to encourage more donors to step up.
Johan, 47, said: “It is a really nice feeling to know I’ve helped get him back to health. The bond between us is stronger and we’re closer because of it. He says he definitely married the right woman.”
Kidney Research UK says the odds of a spouse or friend being the “best tissue match” are 200/1.
Johan did not want to give false hope so kept it from Martin that she had put her name forward as a potential donor.
It was only when family members were told they were not compatible that she was confirmed as a “near perfect match”.
Martin first fell ill in 2009 and was soon in hospital where his kidney function was registering zero.
He received dialysis treatment but in 2017 his condition worsened and he was told a transplant was his only hope.
Since the operation, keen cyclist Martin has been back on his bike and is enjoying spending quality time with children, Matthew, 19, Esther, 17, Lydia, 15, and Thomas, 13.
Kidney Research UK trustee Adnan Sharif said there are 5000 people in the UK, 400 of whom are in Scotland, awaiting a kidney transplant. To find out more, visit www.livingdonationscotland.org.
She’s given me my life back. It’s given me a new start MARTIN ROSS ON WIFE JOHAN AFTER KIDNEY OP