New blood-washing operation that's a lifeline for kidney patients - UK

Daily Mail | David Hurst


Photo: Key to success is ensuring all the antibodies - from the patient and the donor organ - are removed before the transplant and don't return

There is a desperate shortage of donor organs, exacerbated by the fact that the donor and recipient must have the same blood type.

With National Transplant Week starting on Monday, DAVID HURST talks to Charli Wheeler, 24, a student from Orpington, Kent, who had a new treatment that tackles this problem.

The Patient
Key to success is ensuring all the antibodies - from the patient and the donor organ - are removed before the transplant and don't return

Even though I was four weeks premature, Mum says the doctors weren’t too worried about me.

But a few hours later they realised I had problems with my kidneys.

I was rushed to Great Ormond Street. It turned out only one kidney worked, and even that wasn’t working properly.

The doctors were worried I’d need a dialysis machine to clean my blood, which is what your kidneys are meant to do, and that I might even die.

I was diagnosed with a rare condition called Vater Syndrome, which causes birth defects in the body, including the kidneys.

I spent nearly two years in hospital; by the time I was two, I’d had 40 operations to get my kidney working better.

Over the years I was OK and had regular check-ups, though I’ve always been smaller than other girls.

Then everything started to go wrong after my 15th birthday — I felt tired all the time. At times I couldn’t get out of bed.

The doctor told me I had anaemia and all the toxins my kidneys were meant to get rid of were building up — that’s why I felt so rubbish. I’d need a kidney transplant.

It sounded scary, but I was told I might not survive if I didn’t have one as soon as possible.

My parents were tested to see if they were a good match.

Mum wasn’t, but luckily Dad was because we have the same blood group.

I had the transplant in 2002 when I was 15. I felt so much better and had lots more energy.
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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}