Thursday 8 March 2012

News of Kidney breakthrough

To those of you who don't yet know me, I have been a dialysis patient over two years as my diabetes killed the veins that fed my kidneys,etc. This morning on BBC1 there was research being done at a British transplant hospital. Currently organs, rather from a live or dead source are put on ice to preserve their harvesting. There is now a new way that keeps the kidney warm, feeds it blood and makes the scientists able to see if the kidney is viable before transplant. What a miracle! It also allows some minor repairs to be done to the kidney if needed, before the human has it put in place.
This particular hospital expects to increase transplants by 500 a year! Can you imagine-people getting their life back, untied to a machine to keep them alive. If a few more hospitals tried this, one day dialysis would only be a stop-gap measure as you await your kidney, not a lifestyle like it has been for me. 
Chronic illness really chains the whole family as it affects every one around you, affects plans, holidays, whether you can attend social events...
I am chuffed. Thank you God. Thank you NHS.
Thank you to the brave hospital who tried this experiment.
Blessings. Hope at last !

1 comment:

  1. I was so delighted to watch this on the news this morning Brenda. As you know there is a hereditary kidney problem in my family which affects myself and the 3 boys.To be honest I knew with the amount of research that is being done that this day would come although didn't expect it so soon.Wonderful news. x

    ReplyDelete