The Great British Bake-op!
A DAUGHTER has finally shared her mother’s love of baking cakes - after getting her kidney in an organ transplant.
Stephanie Morse, 37, never inherited her mum’s cake-making passion until she woke from the transplant operation with a sudden urge to get in the kitchen.
And now Stephanie is sure the “bake and kidney” transplant from mum Wendy, 62, has inspired her fight back to health.
She said: “It’s incredible. Before receiving mum’s kidney I had no interest in baking whatsoever.
“But immediately after the surgery and for weeks after all I wanted to do was make cakes like mum.
“I would draw how they’d look and write lists of flavours to create.
“As soon as I got home from hospital I got the ingredients to make a raspberry cheesecake. I was obsessed.”
Mum-of-three Stephanie, of Cwmbran, South Wales, now dons her apron and grabs her mixing bowl to bake cakes, buns and tarts at home – just her loving mum. Stephanie said: “The only explanation is mum’s kidney has also transplanted this feeling into my brain.
“I’m always telling mum she should go on The Great British Bake Off. I even entered her one year but missed the deadline.
“Now we both love to watch it when we can for inspiration.”
Stephanie suffered kidney problems throughout her life and was facing dialysis until she received her mum’s organ in May 2018 in an operation at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
Instead of removing one of her troublesome organs, Stephanie had her mum’s kidney inserted into the front of her ribcage – meaning she now has three.
Stephanie, a full-time mum, said: “Words can’t explain how grateful I am to mum. I tell everyone she gave me life twice.
“I felt better almost instantly. “Mum was discharged from hospital after two days and said she felt completely fine other than some discomfort. She’s amazing.
“After about six weeks, once I healed up from the surgery, my overwhelming urge to bake subsided – but I still had a wicked sweet tooth.
“Thankfully mum never lost the love of baking so I have a plentiful supply of her cakes to enjoy.”
Retired civil servant Wendy, of Tenby, Pembs, makes cakes weekly for her own pleasure. But she also bakes for family occasions, bake sales and visitors.
Wendy said: “It amused me that Stephanie woke up from the operation with the urge to bake.
“She’s always loved my cakes but didn’t fancy baking herself.
“It was my natural mothering instinct to help Stephanie, I made sure I was registered as a donor so when the time came I was ready to offer my kidney. “After the op I felt well. The surgery site was sore for a little while but not a great deal. I also felt hollowed out, like something was missing inside which I suppose it was.”