A woman saved her husband’s life with an unusual 50th birthday present – her own kidney.
Business manager Stephen Kelsey says his life was a “hamster wheel” of four-hour dialysis sessions three times a week until wife Tracy told him the joyful news.
Stephen, diagnosed with the autoimmune disease ANCA vasculitis in October 2018, said: “There were times I wished I was dead. So, when Tracy said she was a match on my 50th birthday, I just broke down in tears.”
The rare disease causes red blood cells to double in size and attack essential organs such as the kidneys.
The nine-hour operation at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield on February 20 was a success and the couple are now recovering at home in Rotherham, South Yorks with painkillers and daytime TV.
Tracy, 45, said: “It was my birthday present for him.
“I was a registered organ donor for years, but to be able to help somebody you love while you’re alive is even better.
“The decision to get tested and see if I was a match was instinctive.”
The couple are now planning to be “kidney ambassadors” for the Northern General, helping other patients prepare for kidney transplants and raising awareness about living donations.
Stephen said: “The operation was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was absolutely mortified because I was putting somebody who I love in harm’s way.
“It costs £110,000 a year to keep somebody on dialysis.
“Transplants not only transform lives, they’re also very cost-effective.”
