Couple who underwent three-way kidney ‘swap shop’ scheme say family is now 'complete'
08.05.2024 - 10:25
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A couple took part in a three-way kidney exchange which has allowed them to "complete (their) family" and become equal.
The pair saw one partner receive a kidney from a "heroic" altruistic donor while the other donated to a stranger described as a "swap shop".
Claire Collins, 36, a self-employed hairdresser, was born with a rare form of kidney disease, a hereditary condition called familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy, and has faced a "slow deterioration" in her health since birth.
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She started taking medication from the age of two and was on a "special diet" for nearly 20 years, remaining "stick thin" as she couldn't indulge in treats like chips, pizza, bananas, chocolate, or alcohol, and due to severe fatigue, she would go to bed by 7pm each night.
Despite putting on a "brave face for everybody," Claire's condition gave her a "daily reminder that (she) was different".
After tying the knot with James, 40, an engineering consultant, in 2010, the pair, living just outside York, started talking about wanting a family. However, a renal consultant told them the chances of conceiving were "extremely slim".
Against the odds, Claire became pregnant and, enduring almost daily dialysis for nine weeks in hospital, welcomed their first child Leala in 2012.
They were then informed that Claire would require a kidney transplant before they could contemplate having a second child and after years on a waiting list, they opted to join the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme, where donor kidneys can be exchanged or swapped.
In the spring