A NURSE who spent years working at a hospital renal unit has donated a kidney to a stranger.
Rachel Cox, who cares for dialysis patients at Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire, made the kind gesture to help someone who is on the transplant waiting list.
Rachel, 48, said: “My family thought I was crazy. My husband kept asking me if I was sure but never once did he say ‘don’t do it’.
“I had a few sessions with a psychologist to establish I was doing it for the right reasons – it’s something all donors go through.
“A life on haemodialysis is not easy and it’s not really a choice.
“It’s something I see every day and I wanted to do something to make at least one person’s life better.
“You can only give your kidney once and that’s why I couldn’t choose who to donate to.”
After the operation in 2017, Rachel, who lives in Troon, Ayrshire, said she felt tired and sore, but was comforted by the fact she would soon start to feel well again.Rachel said: “I’m well aware this is my personal choice and not something anyone should feel pressured to do.”
She is now training for the London Marathon, raising funds for Kidney Research UK.
To donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here