Transplant success for thrilled couple
Hospital THE STORY of a mother-of-two who donated one of her kidneys to help her husband receive a new kidney of his own featured in this week’s episode of the BBC’s factual programme, Hospital.
WhenElliottGosswasdiagnosedwith acute kidney failure, his wife Jennifer wanted to give him one of her own kidneys, but she was not a donor match.
MrsGossdecidedtotakepartinanew kidney-pooling initiative, where she would donate one of her kidneys to an anonymous beneficiary, and her husband would receive an organ from an anonymous donor who was a match.
Mrs Goss said: “It was such a small thing for me to do, but it gave someone the gift of life — and ended up giving my husband the gift of life.”
The couple, who are members of Edgware Reform Synagogue in north west London, advertised in the JC with the MatnatChaimJewishkidneytransplant charity last year.
In the same week, a story in the paper featured two members of another synagogue where one needed a kidney and the other donated his.
Mrs Goss said: “A family friend read the article, saw our advert and contacted us and said he would like to be our donor. He got tested and was a match.”
The operation was due to go ahead when Mr and Mrs Goss were told they had been paired with others in the pooling initiative. They had to decide which organ to accept and chose the pairing scheme.
Mrs Goss explained: “We didn’t want the chain to fall apart — there were eight people involved, four couples. It went in a big circle. All eight of us were giving or receiving kidneys. We didn’t want to break that chain.”
Viewers on Wednesday saw the couple undergoing surgery and later attending a check-up, with Mr Goss havingsuccessfullyacceptedhisneworgan.
Mrs Goss said she hoped people would find out more about the Matnat Chaim charity and consider donating a kidney themselves.