Jane Blair
Hitching a ride to Dunedin with her best friend's husband
inspired Jane Blair to donate a kidney.
And she is happy about that life-changing gift.
On November 4 last year, Ms Blair (39) put her healthy body
under a surgeon's scalpel in Christchurch Hospital to donate
one of her kidneys to someone she will never meet.
Her best friend's husband, Barry Burgess, had suffered kidney
failure after an infection.
A first kidney donated by his mother failed, and Mr Burgess
was forced to travel to Dunedin Hospital for dialysis
treatment.
Ms Blair, who is from Purakaunui Falls, was studying
veterinary nursing in Dunedin in 2003, and travelled up with
him one day.
"I said 'What do you need to do to donate a kidney?', and he
said 'What blood type are you?'"
On discovering they had the same blood type, Ms Blair went to
the dialysis unit at Dunedin Hospital and began the testing
process, with the intention of donating to Mr Burgess.
"After a year of tests, they did the immunology test and
discovered his mum and I had the same antigen."
Mr Burgess would have required intensive immunosuppressants
to accept the donation.
"Barry got one in December from an altruistic donation, and I
thought `quid pro quo'."
Having "psyched" herself up, Ms Blair decided to continue
with the donation and registered as an altruistic donor.
"With an altruistic donation, they give it to the best match
possible," she said.
"Mind you, you don't give a kidney away very often, so you
want to make sure it works."
A match for her kidney was found, and the exchange took place
in Christchurch.
Ms Blair said she did not meet the recipient, but has
exchanged letters via the Transplant Co-ordination Centre.
"A few weeks [after the transplant] I sent her a Christmas
card, and I got a letter back which made me cry.
"She turned 60 three days after receiving the kidney, and her
husband had a stroke and it was really hard looking after her
on dialysis."
"I know all I need to know about her, and I'm happy," she
said.
"If I had another kidney to give, I would."
- rachel.taylor@odt.co.nz
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