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Norine donates a kidney to her son

9:54am Thursday 14th June 2012 in News

A GRANDMOTHER who made the brave decision to give her son the gift of life is recovering at home after surgery.

Norine Polson, aged 70, offered to give a kidney to her 46-year-old son, John Polson, who was suffering renal failure due to a genetic condition.

After months of tests, the kidney transplant operation was carried out at Manchester Royal Infirmary last Thursday.

Norine, of Woodhill Vale, Bury, went into surgery first to have her kidney removed, before John was taken to theatre for the transplant.

It was a long day for Norine’s husband Jack, daughter Belinda Stanley, and John’s fiancee Albena Hughes, who spent more than 13 hours at the hospital.

Jack said: “I knew they were both having major operations and it was tough waiting for them to come out of surgery. There were a few tears that day.

“Afterwards, it was such a relief to see that Norine was okay and that John finally had a new kidney.”

John, of Turks Road, Radcliffe, was born with polycystic kidney disease which caused his kidneys to fail.

He had just 12 per cent renal function, which made him forgetful and increasingly tired due to the pressure on his other organs.

Jack, aged 73, said: “He looked grey, his eyes were jaundiced and he was blue around the lips. His organs were starting to shut down.

“The effect of the transplant was immediate. He looked so much better straight away and his colour was amazing.”

John was soon asking about his mother and they were reunited in the hospital three days later.

Norine was discharged on Tuesday evening.

Jack said: “Norine is a star. She has had some ups and downs since the operation, but seeing John was the best medicine she could have had. She has no regrets.”

John, who runs Valley Blinds on Bradley Fold Trading Estate, has spent the week in hospital and is expected to return home either today or tomorrow.

He will have three hospital appointments each week for the first month and continue to go regularly to check his body does not reject the organ.

John is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father and uncle, who were also born with the disease and had kidney transplants.

Jack has travelled around the world, taken up martial arts and even gone parasailing since receiving his new kidney 20 years ago.

Sadly, Jack’s mother died of the disease in 1965 at the age of 50, when doctors said she was too old for a transplant, and his sister died 15 years ago aged 53.

Jack said: “The kidney transplant has been an amazing success and if John is lucky, he will have his kidney for 20 years or more like I have.

“I want to thank all the staff on the renal transplant team for everything they have done.”

He also urged people to join the NHS organ donor register, which is a list of people willing to become donors after their death.

He said: “John was fortunate to get a kidney from his mother. There is still a shortage of organs available for transplant and thousands of people are dying.

“There are so many parts of the body that can be used to save lives when someone dies, rather than being buried in a coffin or cremated.”

To join the register or find out more, call 0300 123 23 23 or go to organdonation.nhs.uk

Comments(1)

R'Marcus says...
6:00pm Thu 14 Jun 12

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According to a report, nocturnal dialysis patient having three sessions per week of eight hours each has a healthy HDP when compared to conventional procedure. It also decreases the medication of patients.

Dialysis at night time? Yes. Kidney patients who have been undergoing dialysis regularly during daytime are being recommended to go for nocturnal dialysis because of health benefits and sleep factor which is important for patients.

Based on scientific data that had analysed blood pressure, cardiac functioning and other results of patients with kidney problems who were introduced to nocturnal dialysis, renal expert and nephrologist R.M.Hemanath of Vadamalayan Hospitals here has said that the advantages of night time dialysis are many and need to be familiarised among patients.

“Technically, nocturnal dialysis gives good results than conventional dialysis which is done during daytime.

If it is done at night time, the dialysis will be of longer duration, of about eight hours, and the outcome is better. There is evidence for that,” he explained on Tuesday. Apart from health benefits, it also preserves normal work schedule and family activities.

The prolonged eight-hour dialysis, which will be introduced next month in Vadamalayan Hospitals, is very helpful for keeping blood pressure under control and to those who have diabetes/ hypertension.

Citing from various articles written by leading nephrologists, Dr.Hemanath says that the longer sessions will have slower pump speed and improved Hemo-Dialysis Product (HDP).

“In the conventional four-hour dialysis, blood flow will be at higher speed and it is difficult to remove fluid.

But, when we do it for longer duration, cardiac functioning will be good and that is a big advantage of nocturnal dialysis which is common in many countries,” he explains.

According to a report, nocturnal dialysis patient having three sessions per week of eight hours each has a healthy HDP when compared to conventional procedure. It also decreases the medication of patients.

V.Pugalagiri, Chairman and Managing Director, Vadamalayan Hospitals, has said that the hospital's dialysis unit is geared up to introduce night time dialysis and the existing infrastructure is enough.

“Those who are on regular dialysis can come at night after their work.

We want to popularise this because it is for patient's survival and longevity,” he says.

Promising a dialysis schedule that doesn't disturb the routine, nephrologist Dr. Hemanath says that those on dialysis can try it out at night since at the end of the day, you will feel better. It costs the same, has time convenience and gives better results.

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