Renal unit nurse donates kidney to total stranger
A NURSE who spent years working at a hospital renal unit has donated a kidney to a total stranger.
Mother-of-two Rachel Cox has worked tirelessly dealing with the harsh realities of dialysis treatment.
Ms Cox, who runs a renal unit at Crosshouse Hospital, Ayrshire, has now donated a kidney herself.
She went under the knife so a kidney could be removed and given to someone waiting on the transplant list.
The 48-year-old said: “My family thought I was crazy. My husband kept asking me if I was sure but never once did he say ‘don’t do it’.
“I had a few sessions with a psychologist to establish I was doing it for the right reasons – it’s something all donors go through.
“A life on haemodialysis is not easy and it’s not really a choice.
“It’s something I see every day and I wanted to do something to make at least one person’s life better.
“You can only give your kidney once and that’s why I couldn’t choose who to donate to.”
After the operation in 2017, Ms Cox, who lives in Troon, Ayrshire, said she felt tired and sore, but was comforted by the fact she would soon start to feel well again.
She now has a small scar on her torso as a reminder of the operation.
Ms Cox said: “It is not something I’ve spoken about much in public because I don’t want other renal nurses to think it is something they should all do. I’m well aware this is my personal choice and not something anyone should feel pressured to do.”
She is now training for the London Marathon, raising funds for Kidney Research UK.
Ms Cox has worked in the renal unit for 15 years but has run it since 2010.
It took Ms Cox nearly a year to prepare for the operation in 2017.
She had a number of tests done including various blood tests to make sure her kidneys were healthy enough and ensure she could live into her “old age” with only one.
She said: “They put me to sleep and when I woke up I had tubes everywhere but at the end of the week they were all gone.
“I did a top to toe check to make sure that everything was still in place when I woke up, that was the first thing I did. I was a bit uncomfortable when I woke up but I was shown how to use the syringe drivers and how to take painkillers when I needed them.”
She says although she is a kidney down she still feels “no difference”.
Ms Cox added: “I’ve got a small scar on my tummy but I’ve not had any issues. It’s been really easy.
“I’m happy I did it because I’ve always believed in kidney donation and I’ve had a donor card since the start of secondary school.
“Also with my job, working in this environment has shown me that people could benefit from a kidney.”
My family thought I was crazy. My husband kept asking me if I was sure