A WOMAN who suffered acute kidney failure after contracting bacterial meningitis has had her life trans- formed by a transplant made possible by her mum – and a stranger.
Seyda Oates, 24, from Glasgow, shared her story to highlight the benefits of living kidney donation five months on from life-saving surgery.
New research shows four out of five people (80%) in Scotland would be likely to consider donating a kidney while alive to a family member, with almost half (48%) stating they’d be likely to consider donating to a friend and 13% saying they’d consider donating to someone they didn’t know.
Living kidney donation plays a vital role in increasing transplantation rates, with a kidney from a living donor generally offering the best outcomes for patients in need of a transplant.
Oates was given a 5% chance of survival after contracting meningitis and septicaemia, with the spread of the infection affecting multiple organs and requiring the then-21-year-old to undergo a double leg amputation to save her life.
Kidney failure resulted in Oates immediately going on haemodialysis. She was put on the waiting list for a transplant in late 2020. Her mother Oya was tested as a potential living donor in 2021 but was not a match.
She entered the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme enabling her to donate to someone who was a match, in order for her daughter to receive a kidney from an altruistic donor match. Oates’s transplant went ahead in July, with her mother donating to the person she anonymously matched with a month later.
Oates, who recently graduated and is working full-time said: “People always ask me what was harder – losing half of my body or having to go through dialysis. I’m not joking when I say losing my legs was nothing compared to living with kidney disease.
“The surgery went great and they were really happy with the kidney. It took literally a day and a half to see the difference in me. My mum was shocked by my complexion. I went from being pale sick, with dark under eyes, to having rosy cheeks and colour in my face. I just felt so much stronger.
"I don’t know who donated their kidney to me, but I matched an angel. The early signs are good, I have a good kidney which will hopefully last me the rest of my life. It’s just awesome, and I hope on some level they know what they’ve done for me.”
Just 23% of those surveyed were aware that those who receive a kidney from a living donor have a better longer-term outcome than if they receive one from someone who has died.
Jen Lumsdaine, lead nurse at Living Donation Scotland, said: “A healthy person can lead a completely normal life with one kidney. Living donation is an exceptional gift. Although Scotland has an opt-out system of deceased organ and tissue donation, living kidney donation continues to play a vital part in improving transplant numbers.”
For more information, visit livingdonation.scot
