Livingston man gives his gravely ill brother his kidney

Jul 9 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A LIVINGSTON man has given his seriously ill brother a lifeline by donating one of his kidneys to him.

In a true example of brotherly love Alan Wright, 52, gave up his kidney to help save sibling James, who was suffering from Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

James, 59, was first diagnosed with the genetic condition PKD four years ago.

And when Alan found out his big brother needed a transplant he bravely stepped forward immediately.

“I just volunteered straight off. There are five of us in the family and I am the youngest so felt I was the obvious candidate,” Alan said.

“I put myself forward and started the process but we didn’t find out I was an exact match until recently.

“It wasn’t just a case of going for one test — there were blood tests, tissue samples, scans and all sorts.

“It took over two years of getting me ready and when they established I was ok and there was nothing else wrong with me they decided to go ahead with the transplant.”

The operation took place two weeks ago in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and both men are now at home recovering.

And so far all the signs point towards the transplant being a success which will completely transform the life of James.

The Edinburgh man said: “PKD is a genetic disorder. We have a big family but I am the only one who has the condition.

“I suffered from extreme tiredness all the time. Whenever I ate or drank anything I was ill.

“I was just about to go on dialysis but I got the operation just in time to prevent that.

“I have noticed the difference straight away. I feel so much better already.

“I just want to let everyone know what Alan has done for me.

“We are originally from Kirknewton and we’ve always been close but this was just such a tremendous thing for him to do.

“Alan is a big Livi fan so he needs some cheering up just now so I thought I would let people know what he means to me and what a great brother he is.”

But modest Alan is just happy to have helped his brother.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the results of the operation. It was scary in the beginning as it looked like there was some sort of rejection going on but remarkably it completely turned around and became quite a success.

“We’ve always been very close and have always been there for each other.

“My wife Janette and son Andrew think it was a massive thing to do. They think it was very brave and courageous thing to do but I don’t.

“If it is something that helps then that is fantastic.

“I never had any hesitation whatsoever.

“The doctors have just told me to take it easy.

“To be honest it has been a bit more painful than I expected but that will pass.

“When the epidural wore off in the hospital it was very painful but they can manage that.

“I am a keen hillwalker and will have to leave off that for a couple of months but I can do low level walking to aid my recovery.

“I work for British Telecom and they have been very supportive of me and gave me the time off to recover.

“My bosses have been excellent and could see the significance of what I was doing.

“They couldn’t do keyhole surgery so it could be up to three months until I’m back to normal but it was worth it to help James.”

l Polycystic Kidney Disease is one of the most common inherited disorders and the fourth commonest cause of kidney failure.

Fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys, giving them a honeycomb appearance. Gradually these cysts replace the normal kidney tissue, enlarging the kidneys but making them less and less able to function normally. Eventually, the kidneys fail completely.

In addition to the kidney damage, the fluid in the cysts may become infected, which can cause pain in the back and abdomen, and trigger fever.