Man fighting for his life after finding out he was born without one kidney
AMAZING FEAT OF STEVE IN DESPERATE NEED OF AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT
AMAN is fighting for his life after a routine medical test aged 27 showed that he had been born with one kidney.
Doctors told Steve Harrison, now 37, that his only kidney was failing after the medical and diagnosed him with chronic kidney disease.
He is now on dialysis and waiting for a new organ after his wife was unable to donate her kidney when it emerged she had Immunoglobulin A deficiency.
Steve and his wife Donna, 41, have been isolating since the first coronavirus lockdown, but have managed to climb 150 mountains since his diagnosis in 2010, including half of the Lake District, as well ell as Ben Nevis, Mount Snowdon and Scafell Pike.
They are now waiting for a call from Hull Royal Infirmary for an organ transplant as soon as an eligible kidney becomes available - but Steve says he has been advised he has a 1 in 4 risk of dying of coronavirus if he catches the disease while in hospital for his operation.
Donna told The Mail that it t is “like the lottery” waiting for r Steve’s new kidney and that he will die without the transplant.
“We are just waiting for the call for Steve to come in to hospital for the transplant - we have our bags packed and ready as we would need to be there within six hours, but it is like the lottery waiting for the right donor.
“Steve will die without the transplant and has PD dialysis through his stomach at the moment, but people can only survive on dialysis from five to ten years.
“We are both key workers and have been able to work from home since the first lockdown in March and have been shielding, not seeing any one and only going out for exercise.
“We have a nurse coming in from
Steve and Donna Harrison
Hull Royal Infirmary to help with the dialysis and she has been great, but apart from that we haven’t seen anyone else.
“I’m in absolute bits not being able to save my husband from dialysis by giving him my kidney as it emerged I had kidney disease, and then I think to myself when I see Steve on dialysis
‘will this be me in 20 years?’.
“To see the tube stuck in his stomach for his dialysis is just awful and it’s been hell.
“Then getting the transplant is a double edged sword as if we get the call to come into hospital for Steve’s transplant, there is a one in four
To see the tube stuck in his stomach for his dialysis is just awful and it’s been hell
chance that he could die if he contracts coronavirus in hospital.
“So I would be besides myself with worry as well if he did go in for the op - you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t, but we agreed that we wanted a second chance at life for Steve, so will take the risk”.
Donna thinks it is now more important than ever that people are donating organs through the new optout scheme and wants to raise awareness of this.
She even appeared on Question Time three weeks ago to promote the issue.
But because of many organ donors dying of coronavirus, it means that their organs cannot be used due to being infected by the virus.
“I would really encourage people to now stay on the organ donor list, even if it feels strange to think about, as it could save so many lives,” said Donna.
“Now with the pandemic though, as people are dying of coronavirus, their organs can’t be used which I don’t think people are aware of.
“I’m putting all my energies into Steve and we have both climbed 150 mountains now and I have been supported by Linda Pickering at Kidney Care UK and she has been my rock.
“We will stay shielding until Steve can get a virus even if the rules are relaxed at Christmas, as we just can’t risk him getting coronavirus and are now just waiting for the vaccine or the transplant, whichever comes first.”
Donna Harrison