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Derek & Bronwyns Living Donor Transplant Story

Our story began about 11 or 12 years ago when I first met Bronwyn. We both had children from previous marriages.Bron had three grown children and I had two grown children . At this time, Bron had no known kidney problems.

Although we live separately by choice, we get along very well together and are very good friends and are always there for each other if and when we are ever needed.   We both love travelling and travelled extensively in and across Australia in our caravan in some of the most outback places you could imagine, including the Gunbarrel Highway and to the top of Cape York Peninsula. Bron is a great travelling companion which made travelling with her a pleasure.

While returning from a long trip about 5 years ago, Bron started having health problems with her kidneys and this resulted in her having to go on Peritoneal Dialysis

having to change her bag 4 times daily. Using this method, we could still travel in our caravan and we did a three-month trip to the East coast and Tasmania, with Bron using the caravan to do her dialysis. She managed this really well although this got her down a bit at times.

About 4 years ago, I spoke to Bron’s family about the possibility of Bron having a transplant as we knew she would need one someday in the future if her health got worse.  I offered to be a donor for her if that happened (as it turned out, none of them were found compatible as a donor for her). There was no urgency at the time and I did not mention my offer to Bron.  

In January 2004, we had planned, paid and booked for a long trip to Tasmania in the Caravan. Everything was loaded and ready to go when Bron’s health deteriorated rapidly and we had to cancel the trip. As a result, Bron had to go on a home dialysis machine which she had to hook up to every night for 12 hours to survive. What a way to have to spend the rest of your life! 

This is when I told Bron she could have one of my kidneys if she wanted it and to think about it and talk it over with her family. She was shocked to think that anybody would do that for her, she was worried that it may harm my own health and said that with all the pain, risk and everything else I would have to go through why would I do that for her? Having seen her when she was in good health, and how drawn, pale & ill she was now, this question did not really need answering. 

We did manage a couple of short trips in the caravan by using a generator and having all the right gear on hand for the home dialysis machine we took along. Not the best situation, but at least it gave Bron the chance to travel again. About 6 to 8 weeks after my offer of a kidney, Bron asked me if the offer was still there, which it was. 

From February 2004 to December 2005, we did all manner of tests which found we were compatible and on the 15th December 2005 we had our transplant at Royal Perth Hospital. All went well and although we are both a bit sore, to see the difference it has made to Bron’s appearance and health has made it all worthwhile. Once she has recovered properly we both look forward to her having a better quality of life and to spending some quality time together including more travel!