‘Giving my brave sister a kidney was a no-brainer’

A SIXTH class teacher who donated a kidney to her sister has spoken of the importance of organ donation in Ireland.

Bride-to-be Melissa Honner (29) underwent the operation on October 1 at Beaumont Hospital.

Melissa, who teaches at Taney National School in Dundrum, donated one of her kidneys to younger sister Alison (27), a media student, who had already undergone two transplants.

The two sisters, who come from a family of seven siblings, have returned to their home in Co Laois where they are now busy preparing for Melissa’s wedding in July.

“It was a no-brainer that I should help my sister who was struggling with dialysis for four years after two previous transplants failed,

? Melissa said.

“Four of my family were screened for living donation and after I returned home from New York in January this year where I got engaged to my fiancé Brian, I was greeted with the welcome news that I was a perfect match for Alison.

“As soon as we were given the date for the operation, myself and Brian booked our wedding for July 25 next year.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to donate a kidney to Alison as for some families living donation might not be an option and they are reliant on the goodwill of the general public to donate.

?

She added:

“Organ donation is so important and it can make such a difference to all those people who have organ failure and are hoping for a lifeline.

“I hope the general public have a discussion with their loved ones about organ donation and let their wishes to donate be known in case they have an untimely death.

?

Alison paid tribute to her sister for giving her back her life.

“What Melissa has done for me is just amazing,

? she said.

“I am overwhelmed. Within three days of the transplant I could feel that I had so much more energy and no longer felt the tiredness that drained me.

“I’ve got the colour back in my cheeks. I’m still a little sore but I feel great and Melissa is recovering well also.

“The operation has been a great success and as Melissa was a perfect match the prospect of my new kidney lasting for longer is much greater. I will always be grateful to the families of the deceased donors for my previous two kidney transplants which gave me a better quality of life when I was younger.

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She added:

“Unfortunately my previous transplant failed four years ago and I had been receiving dialysis since then. For the first three years I was receiving nightly dialysis at home for 10 hours at a time and for the past year I have been travelling to Dublin three times a week for haemodialysis treatment.

“Now that Melissa has given me my life back I can look forward to the future and being her bridesmaid on her special day.

“I would encourage people to carry an organ donor card and be aware of the immense difference a transplant can make to all those people with organ failure who are hoping to receive the gift of life from a stranger

?.

Alison and Melissa’s living donor kidney transplant was one of 24 to take place this year at Beaumont Hospital.

Their story was highlighted during the recent European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation that took place on October 12.

The event is organised by the Council of Europe every year to raise awareness about the increasing demand for organ donation for transplantation.

In Ireland there are over 650 people awaiting organ transplants including heart, lung, liver kidney and pancreas.

Thanks to the generosity of the families of 78 donors last year, 206 people received organ transplants.

For organ donor cards Freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or Locall 1890 543639 or log on to www.ika.ie. Donor cards can now be stored on smartphones by downloading the free Organ Donor Ecard app.