Birmingham mum with MS donates kidney to teenage son

A mother has said it was the “most natural decision in the world” to donate a kidney to her sick child, despite her living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Sarah’s son Anthony became seriously ill 17 months ago, with his symptoms including a loss of appetite, vomiting and issues with walking.

The Birmingham teenager, now 16, was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Nephronophthisis, which causes cysts and scarring in the kidney tissue, and he was put on dialysis.

Doctors at Birmingham Children’s Hospital concluded that he needed a transplant but a search for a donor failed, so Sarah put herself forward.

One of her kidneys was removed at the nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital before it was taken to the children’s hospital and successfully transplanted into Anthony six months ago.

Sarah said she remembered being wheeled into Anthony’s room and seeing how much better he looked after the surgery.

“It was the most natural decision to make in the world,” Sarah said. “I get that it can be quite daunting and quite scary for some people to make that decision.

“I think knowing how thorough the process was helped me to understand they would not allow it to go ahead unless they were absolutely sure I could stand that sort of operation.”

Anthony said he could exercise more now and was very grateful to his mum for the donation.

“I have to stop and remind myself how far he’s come,” Sarah said. “It’s giving life – seeing him this way, with all the opportunities he now has compared to where he was before, is massive.”

Dr Ramnath Iyer, consultant paediatric nephrologist at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said many people with medical conditions could still be donors.

“There are very few medical conditions which are definitely a counter indication for being a donor,” he said.

Health issues which could be a barrier for potential kidney donors included diabetes, pre-existing kidney disease, active cancer and infections, Dr Iyer added.

The NHS recently revealed organ transplant waiting lists were at a record high, with an estimated 8,000 patients on the UK Transplant Waiting List.

Sarah said: “Until we went through what we’ve been through, I had no idea waiting lists were that big and transplants or donating were still an issue for people. I think it’s a gift to give.”