Saved, by caring ex who has donated her kidney
Organ was perfect match
PAUL Duncan feared the worst when he was told he urgently needed a new kidney to stay alive.
But little could he have expected that a former girlfriend would sacrifice her healthy organ to save him.
Rebecca Morrice, who had remained firm friends with her 30-year-old ex, said she did not hesitate to help him.
Personal trainer Mr Duncan was told he had kidney failure two years ago. He had been diagnosed ten years earlier, at the age of 18, with IgA nephropathy, a disease that stops the kidney from filtering waste properly.
In 2016, the condition worsened and Mr Duncan, who also suffers from cystic fibrosis, was placed on dialysis. At one point he feared a transplant would not be possible, as the kidney failure reduced his lung function substantially, meaning there were increased risks involved in the surgery.
But when doctors agreed he could be listed for transplant, six people came forward to be tested as potential donors. Miss Morrice, who he had met through work in 2010, was one of them.
Miss Morrice, 30, said: ‘I wasn’t fully aware of how severe Paul’s condition was until I visited him in hospital. I knew I wanted to get tested from that moment on, and that never wavered.
‘One of my great friends was in need, and I kept thinking what if it was one of my family. For that reason, it was a no-brainer and probably one of the easiest decisions I ever made.
‘There were a lot of tests and discussions around the fact that the surgery might not be successful for Paul. But I wanted to try, and if the kidney didn’t take, then so be it.’
Mr Duncan’s transplant went ahead on December 20 last year and he was discharged on New Year’s Day. He is now back at the gym and hopes to return to work this summer.
He said: ‘Rebecca saved my life and I can’t put into words what it
‘Decision was a no-brainer’
is she’s done for me. Nothing I could ever do in the rest of my lifetime could repay her enough.
‘What she did for me, and my family, was quite simply amazing.’
According to the latest statistics, living kidney donation rates in Scotland are increasing year on year, with the number of donors rising from 86 in 2016-17 to 95 in 2017-18.
A healthy person can lead a normal life with just one working kidney, and over the past ten years more than 500 people in Scotland have become living kidney donors. However, more than 400 people are waiting for a transplant.
Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: ‘Paul’s life was saved by the selfless actions of Rebecca. Thankfully we’re seeing an increase in the number of patients like Paul, whose lives are being transformed by living kidney donation.
‘Life on dialysis can be extremely tough for some, and with the average wait for a deceased donor kidney in the UK being over two years, it’s vital we continue to raise awareness of the benefits to give hope and a future to those living with the realities of endstage kidney failure.’
Mr Duncan describes 2016, when he started dialysis, as one of the darkest periods of his life. He went from being a relatively active young man to struggling with dayto-day chores.
He said: ‘I went from being fit and active to struggling to get up the stairs to my flat and having no quality of life.
‘I knew a kidney transplant was my only chance.’