The power of love I GAVE MY DYING HUBBY MY KIDNEY

IF THEY HADN’T BEEN A DONOR MATCH, THE COUPLE WOULDN’T HAVE THEIR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY

- Fleur Guthrie

When Caroline Everett began dating her now-husband Stephen, he told her he had kidney problems and that in the far-off future dialysis or a transplant would be likely. He said he’d understand if she didn’t want to see him.

“I remember walking together along Milford Beach, knowing I had to tell her I was potentially a ticking time bomb before we got more serious,” recalls Stephen, now 45.

“And it didn’t bother me at all,” smiles Caroline, 40. “Maybe it was young love or I was naïve because he was so fit and well that I thought it’d be years before we’d have to deal with any major health issues.”

But months after getting married in 2003, Stephen became more fatigued. He gave up playing touch rugby three nights a week, his skin tone turned grey and regular blood tests returned worrying results. At the age of 27, his kidneys were close to shutting down.

Two years prior, Stephen had been diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a progressive disease causing inflammation which damages kidney tissues. He had used medication to keep the symptoms of the disease at bay, but deterioration was inevitable.

“There were no initial symptoms other than a doctor finding my blood pressure was high when I went to see him about a cough,” tells Stephen. “I wasn’t overweight and I didn’t drink or smoke, so it was out of the ordinary. A standard blood and urine test then picked up that something was off.