My Parents Gave Me Their Kidneys

Isaak's mum and dad each gave him a lifesaving gift

At just eight years old Isaak Battista received a life-changing kidney transplant from his father Gianpiero, but little did he know in just a few years’ time his mother Rebekka would be making the same sacrifice to save his life again.

Now, Isaak carries both his parents with him – their kidneys are keeping the 23-year-old alive and healthy.

Born with a collapsed lung and failing kidneys, Isaak was placed in an oxygen chamber for three days to regain his strength. His parents were told he would need a kidney transplant in order to survive.

“I was in shock,” says Rebekka, who welcomed her baby at Lismore Base Hospital on January 21, 1998.

“I felt like the floor had fallen away... We had this gorgeous baby who I thought was so healthy and things just went very wrong.”

Too small to be operated on right away, the family faced an anxious three-month wait until their son was strong enough to undergo surgery.