Michael and Sharon – ANZKX kidney exchange program

Through the Australia and New Zealand Paired Kidney Exchange Program (ANZKX) during the COVID period, Michael offered to donate his kidney to help his neighbour, mother of two Sharon, who had life-threatening polycystic kidney disease.
 

The Royal Sydney Hospital-based doctor is a urologist who works on kidney transplants for a living, and understand the implications of living with kidney disease — and knew that waiting for a direct match on the deceased list might take years for Sharon. 
 

Michael wanted to help and embarked on the rigorous testing regime with his wife Nina to find out if they were suitable for living donation. 
 

Michael, was approved as a donor but was not a match for Sharon, so they joined the Australian New Zealand Paired Kidney Exchange Program, a program that increases the number of living kidney donations by matching incompatible donor and recipient pairs with other incompatible pairs.   
 

While it took several months for them to be matched in a chain of donors and recipients, and after a few COVID-related delays, Sharon got a kidney from an anonymous donor in another state, and Michael’s kidney was donated interstate to another participant in the program in need. 
 

For the donation, Michael had a 3 day stay in hospital, and while he recovered to 90 percent within the first 4-6 weeks, full fitness took around six months. Incredibly, at 12 months post-donation, he had successfully completed a gruelling 500km overseas road cycle, and life is pretty much back to normal.    
 

Sharon said the generous gift of a new kidney has completely transformed her life.  
 

“Before the transplant, my life was very bleak, being on dialysis 3 times a week took up the majority of my time and my poor health made it impossible to do all the things I used to love to do. 
 

“18 months later, I’m close to 100% health, I’m playing tennis 3 times a week again, travelling and spending lots of time with family and friends.” 
 

“I am forever grateful to my living donor for literally giving me my life back.”