My 21st kidneyversary
Nurse’s organ-donor dad running marathon to raise £20k for caring hospitals
EXCLUSIVE
MARTIN BAGOT Health Editor
A CHILDREN’S nurse is celebrating the 21st anniversary of being given a life-saving kidney, an organ only expected to last a decade.
And Emily Hart’s donor and dad Richard hopes to raise £20,000 for hospitals for her “kidneyversary”, including by running Sunday’s London Marathon.
Emily, 28, was born with kidney failure but battled on with medication and dialysis until she was seven. Her family were then told she needed a transplant or may die.
Richard, 55, said: “I was a good match and I felt giving her my kidney was the natural thing to do. Because of the transplant and the great care she has had, Emily has done remarkably well.”
She is now a paediatric nurse at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Richard said: “I’m so proud of her. She takes it all in her stride. What she has managed to achieve blows my mind.”
Emily said: “Dad is the most generous, caring person in the whole world. He would do anything for anyone – it’s just in his nature. He said he would donate his kidney to me again if he could.”
Emily is preparing to have another kidney transplant, hopefully this year.
More than 7,000 people in the UK need a transplant. Last year 15 children and 494 adults died waiting for surgery.
In May, following a Mirror campaign, a scheme where people who die are understood to be donors unless they opt out was introduced in England.
Richard, from Bedford, who organises catering for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, has organised or taken part in events from a prosecco brunch to bake sales, sponsored trampoline bouncing to the Royal Parks half-marathon.
The funds go to the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity which is linked to the Central London hospitals which cared for Emily.
He said: “We are so grateful for the care she has received – amazing people helped her, we’ve been blown away by everyone’s kindness.”
I’m proud of Emily. What she has achieved has blown my mind