Living Donation – The Batty Family’s Story
Most people living with one kidney - whether born with a single kidney, or having donated a kidney to someone in need - are able to live long, healthy lives.
The overall risk of developing significant kidney disease in your remaining kidney after donation is very low, (only 0.5% of donors). It is actually much less in kidney donors than it is in the general (unscreened) population because kidney donors are, of course, pre screened to ensure they are healthy.
91 year old Mr Batty is a great example of how you can live a long healthy life after donating a kidney. His son John Batty shared their family’s amazing story:
“My Dad donated his kidney to me back in 1996. Being a living donor has clearly had no ill effects on his health and longevity as he will celebrate his 91st birthday on 2 October 2023. He was declared fit enough earlier this year to receive a replacement hip, although ideally he would have preferred a replacement back!
For Dad’s 90th birthday we refurbished Ebo, a concrete lion that his Dad (my Grandad) had made for him back in 1937. We know it was 1937 because newspapers inside the body of the lion carried reports of the Hindenburg airship disaster. The lion originally had pride (pun intended) of place in the Batty family seat, a council house in Handsworth. Over the years, however, the lion decayed and was held in storage in my brother Andy’s garden near Bath for many years. Having been given a new lease of life, Ebo is now centre stage in Mum and Dad’s garden in Dronfield Woodhouse.
Dad remains an active gardener with, this year, a bountiful harvest of tomatoes, courgettes, beans and rhubarb. A big Sheffield United fan all his life, Dad still regularly (far too regularly!) eulogises on the skills of his footballing hero, Jimmy Hagan.
After Dad’s donated kidney declined, my sister Jane donated a kidney to me in 2013. Jane has lived in France for over 30 years, and has worked at Disneyland Paris since it opened in 1992. She is an active runner who regularly wins 10km races against much younger opposition. Janes’ half marathon time is fast enough to get her into the England Women’s Team for her age group!
Dad sends his apologises that he won’t be there to welcome the cyclists on their transplant tour this week as he will be on a cruise in a Nowegian fjord celebrating his 91st birthday!’
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