Transplant Siblings raise awareness for World Kidney Day

Transplant Siblings raise awareness for World Kidney Day

It’s World Kidney Day on Thursday and siblings Brian Docherty, Colleen Myers and Terry Docherty are sharing their story to raise awareness of kidney disease and to say thank you for the fantastic care they’ve received from both Southern DHB and Canterbury DHB.

Their father suffered from polycystic kidneys, a hereditary disease. They all knew from a relatively young age that there was a 50% chance that they had inherited this disease, and that if they had, they were likely to need a kidney transplant in the future.

Each has a different story but the common theme for all of them is that before their transplants they had little energy and were being kept alive by dialysis.

Brian who is 61 and from Oamaru is the eldest of the three siblings and only underwent a kidney transplant within the last month. He has been under the care of Southern DHB dialysis unit at Dunedin Hospital for nearly five years.

He had been undergoing haemodialysis three days a week at home when the call came to get himself urgently to Christchurch as a kidney was available. After a successful operation he is now staying in Dunedin and undergoing daily monitoring until his consultant allows him to go home to Oamaru, hopefully in the next week or so.

Colleen who is 53, also from Oamaru was diagnosed with polycystic kidneys as a teenager. She says she always knew that she’d need a transplant, it was just a matter of when. She has been monitored throughout her life and underwent a transplant last August. The donor was her elder sister, Anne Maree Cook, who fortunately hasn’t inherited the disease.

Terry, age 59 from Mosgiel tells a similar story. He underwent a transplant in November 2012, the donor was his daughter who was in her mid- twenties at the time. She has just given birth to a healthy baby girl.

Although it is early days for Brian, all three siblings say that the transplants have changed their lives. Brian says he’s feeling amazing and has got his life back. They all say that they didn’t realise how sick they were until they had the transplants.

They’re also indebted to their donors, Nicole’s sister, Terry’s daughter and the family of the deceased donor who gave Brian a chance of a longer life.

All three want their stories to give hope to people on dialysis and “that if they get a kidney it’s life changing.”

Southern DHB Associate Charge Nurse Manager at the Dialysis Unit, Blair Donkin says that, “Brian, Terry and Colleen were exemplary in their commitment to managing their dialysis to the best of their ability and were able to master the challenges it presents whilst remaining in employment.

“Dialysis has a significant impact on people’s freedom, life style and quality of life but when done well dialysis is the “tool” that enables the individual to live as well as they can. This is the emphasis we give in training –no one “wants” to have to dialyse so it is important to focus on dialysing to live not living to dialyse.”

Southern DHB Nephrologist Dr John Schollum and Clinical Director of the National Renal Transplantation Service and Canterbury DHB Nephrologist Dr Nick Cross says that kidney transplantation transforms the lives of patients with kidney failure. “It is very rewarding looking after patients like Brian, Terry and Coleen. It is tremendous to see the improvement in patients following a kidney transplant. Although it is complex treatment and may involve setbacks, it makes a great difference to their health and quality of life. Like our patients, we are always very grateful to the deceased donors and their families, and to the live donors who put themselves forward. Without donors, there would be no transplantation.”

About Southern DHB Dialysis Unit:

Whilst the Dunedin Dialysis Unit, is small numerically in terms of patient numbers with approximately 100, arguably it is the largest in that it covers the largest geographical area of any renal unit in the country.

It is staffed by a small but highly committed and motivated team of dedicated nurses, doctors, allied health, health care assistants, biomedical and administrative staff. The service specialises in the training of patients for home dialysis whether it be Home Haemodialysis (HHD) or Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). This is achieved through an intensive period of training over at least 3 months for HHD or 1-2 weeks in the case of PD. Staff then travel with the patient to support them in their first dialysis at home. Patients are then supported at home, to continue to dialyse and remain as well as possible, through a regular home visiting program.

Dunedin is unique in that it offers additional support via two health care agencies, Health Care Rehabilitation Ltd (in Dunedin) and the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) in Invercargill for those who require and are eligible for specific support in the home with their dialysis. In addition to this the DHB has invested significantly in the support of HHD patients, who are no longer able to dialyse independently at home on their own, through the recruitment and training of five Enrolled Nurses. With the help of these nurse, patients are still able to dialsye at home within the Dunedin area. In the future this may be expanded beyond Dunedin.

About Canterbury DHB Renal Transplant Service:

The Nephrology Department at Christchurch Hospital provides regional nephrology services for people in Canterbury, South Canterbury, and Westland, comprising general nephrology, acute dialysis and chronic dialysis (CAPD and home haemodialysis). The department also provides Renal Transplant Services for people not only in Canterbury and Westland but also Otago and Southland.

For many people with kidney failure, kidney transplantation is the best treatment option, and makes a tremendous difference to the quality of their lives as they no longer need to be on dialysis. Transplantation is limited by the numbers of kidney donors.

Living kidney donors are healthy people who, after a thorough assessment process, have an operation to remove a kidney for transplantation, usually for a friend or family member. For more information about living donation, click here

Deceased donors are people who die in intensive care units around New Zealand, and whose family agree to them becoming organ donors. Their healthy organs are able to be transplanted into people with organ failure, including kidney failure. If you would wish be a deceased donor if you die in intensive care, let your family know your wishes – have the conversation. To learn more about deceased donation, visit donor.co.nz.

About chronic kidney disease:

For more information about chronic kidney disease click here

ENDS

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