AN Alveston mum is appealing for a live kidney donor to help transform her life after waiting for more than two years for a transplant.
Tania Allen has a rare blood group and tissue type, which means she is likely to face a longer wait than other people on the national donor register.
Tania first started having dialysis in March 2023 after suffering from symptoms of tiredness, breathlessness, heavy legs and nausea.
Before that she had discovered she was diabetic and had high blood pressure.
Tania said: “I have dialysis three times a week for four hours on a machine, but with [hospital] transport I can be at the unit for six hours.
“I’m exhausted when I get home. I’m unable to work because of being so tired and trying to run a home, with so many hospital appointments in between, so I can’t ever pre-plan anything too far in advance.”
Tania says the illness has had a devastating effect on her family life.
She says she is no longer able to support her younger child in the way she needs.
Her elder daughter dropped out of her final year at university due to mental health issues which Tania says were brought on by her situation.
She said: “The worrying about me, if I was going to die, affected her.
“Most of my family live in Kent, so it’s hard for them to support us here. My mum and stepdad live nearby but are in ill-health.”
1 in 3 kidney transplants from living donors
Tania’s appeal is being backed by charity Kidney Care UK.
Policy director Fiona Loud said: “The transplant waiting list is the longest it has been for a decade, and with eight out of ten people on the list waiting for a kidney transplant, it is clear that more needs to be done to reduce the time people have to wait for a kidney.
“Many people don’t realise that you can donate a kidney to someone and live perfectly well with just one kidney – those who have done so say it is one of the greatest things they have ever done.
“Around one third of kidney transplants each year – approximately 970 last year – come from living donors and, as someone who has benefited from living kidney donation myself, I can truly say that it is a life-changing gift.”
How to help
Anyone who is interested in becoming a live donor for Tania can call Southmead on 0117 414 5295 and say they are interested in being tested as a match for Tania Allen.
You can find more information about becoming a living donor here.
Kidney Care UK runs a support line on 0808 801 0000 and offers email support at support@kidneycareuk.org.