Dating site found me love – and a kidney transplant

When Sarah Verstage and Jason Carpenter met on a dating website, they matched in another special way they could never have imagined.

Because not only did they fall head over heels in love but he transformed her life – by donating one of his kidneys.

The couple, who first came face to face at Victoria Station in 2013, say it has created a unique bond between them.

Nursery nurse Sarah, 37, from Canterbury, has spina bifida, which has resulted in her kidneys gradually failing. She faced the possibility of life on dialysis after doctors said her mother was too old to donate a kidney and her twin sister was not the match expected.

But then Jason, 45, an electrical engineer, made the extraordinary offer.

He said: “I had it in the back of my mind after finding out we were the same blood group and thought of it as a plan B if it didn’t work out with a family donor. It was just a case whether I was a good enough match.”

The couple had their operations at almost the same time at Guy’s Hospital in August but did not see each other until the next day.

“All we could do was to hold hands because we were both very sore but it was very emotional,” said Sarah.

She is still on anti-organ rejection medication while Jason, who lives in Southend and has an 11-year-old son, is back at work.

Sarah said: “I just feel so much better. I had begun to feel that being so tired was normal but the transformation has been incredible.”

Now the couple are planning a new future together with Jason hoping to move to the area soon.