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Couple who underwent three-way kidney ‘swap shop’ scheme say family is now 'complete'
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 of 2019, an altruistic donor stepped forward, enabling them to complete a three-way swap, where Claire received a kidney from a stranger and James donated his kidney to another stranger.
Following the surgery, James said that he has witnessed the "living proof" of what a kidney transplant can achieve, as it has granted Claire a "new lease of life", allowed them to have a second child named Lincoln, and provided them with quality time together as a couple.
James told PA Real Life: "Whoever donated that kidney has completed our family because we were able to have our son and I was able to have a wife that I probably wouldn't have had without it."
"Since I've donated, I genuinely mean it when I say, if I had more kidneys I'd give them to anybody who needs them because the impact on me has been so minimal compared to the positive impact that I've seen in Claire. "
Claire added: "I'm just able to do so much more than what I could ever have dreamed of."
"It has given us that family unit – we're a unit now, we're equal."
Claire and James are "childhood sweethearts" who met during their teenage years in secondary school.
They set up home together in 2007, tied the knot in 2010, and then began to consider starting a family but were initially warned by a renal consultant: "The likelihood of you conceiving is extremely slim, never mind carrying a pregnancy."
However, after seeking a second opinion from a different consultant at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, Claire became pregnant in early 2012.
But due to her kidney disease, at 24 weeks gestation she was called to the RVI and remained there as an inpatient for the next 10 weeks.
"They told us in the beginning there was a big chance that I would need dialysis through the pregnancy – and it had come to that point.
"That day, they said: 'We're going to put you on dialysis for two hours, see how you go, and if the baby's not happy, the baby comes out tonight'," she said.
Claire responded well to the treatment and subsequently received dialysis – and Leala was then born on October 16 2012. But just one week after bringing her home, they received the devastating news that she had kidney disease as well.
"About two years later, we decided to go back to the RVI and said, 'We've done it once, what do you think about us doing it again?'" James said.
"We wanted a family, we wanted another child, but they said: 'Don't even think about it'."
The couple were advised by doctors that they should not plan for any more children until Claire underwent a kidney transplant, and she was placed on the waiting list.
Four years later, after learning both Claire’s mother and James were not direct matches for a transplant, the couple made the decision to join the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme.
They waited for a phone call for 18 months, but nothing materialised until early 2019 when an altruistic donor came forward – and this one person changed two people’s lives by allowing for a “three-way swap”.
In the spring of 2019, after undergoing copious tests and examinations, James had his left kidney removed via keyhole surgery, which was donated to a stranger, while Claire received an altruistic donor's kidney on the same day at St James's University Hospital in Leeds.
In spring 2019, after undergoing multiple tests and scans, James had his left kidney removed via keyhole surgery to an unknown recipient, whilst simultaneously, Claire received an altruistic donor's kidney on the same day at St James's University Hospital in Leeds.
“They basically disconnect the kidney inside you, pop it in a jiffy bag inside you, make the incision and then pull it out and it’s ready,” Claire said.
The couple described the scheme as a “swap shop” – and now, five years on from the surgeries, Claire is able to live a “relatively normal life”.
She can now watch TV late into the evenings with James, go out with friends, and even travel abroad, all while having "plenty of energy" to spend quality time with her children.
“It was unbelievable, and I thought, this is what it’s like to be well.
“It’s mind-boggling to have spent years feeling unwell and not knowing what normal was and then be given a function that is viable," Claire said.
James said: “I have to drink more water now but I’m going to the gym, playing sports, riding my bike, and most days I completely forget that I’ve only got one kidney.
“I don’t know the details of where my kidney went, but I just hope that whoever has it is living the life that Claire’s currently living.”
Following the transplant, Claire became pregnant and welcomed their son Lincoln named in honour of the Lincoln Wing at St James's in Leeds through a planned C-section on March 17, 2022.
Lincoln, like his mother and sister Leala, has been diagnosed with the same kidney condition and both children are under the care of a renal specialist.
The couple attend regular check-ups, with Claire likening James' appointments to "having an MOT once a year", and they share a renewed appreciation for life's simple pleasures.
They praised the NHS for being "absolutely brilliant" throughout their journey and hailed altruistic donors as heroes.
Now they want to raise more awareness about kidney donations and the Make Your Mark campaign, which has been launched by the charities Kidney Research UK and Give a Kidney to help more people understand what it means to be a living donor.
"It has taken a few years to process everything and actually be able to talk about it, but now we want to help people who are thinking about donating," James said.
"Hopefully, if we can help one person decide to donate a kidney, then it's all been worthwhile."
To find out more about becoming a living kidney donor, click the link here.
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