The McConnell family has a lot to celebrate this Christmas. Not only is their daughter Charlotte healthy — she's also getting married, writes Seven Sharp reporter Carolyn Robinson.
"There was a time when we didn't think she would be here," said Charlotte's mother, Tara McConnell.
The 21-year-old was diagnosed with kidney disease when she was 16 and still at school in New Plymouth.
"Looking back now, she was tired, tired all the time, but we just put it down to being a teenager, staying up too late at night, she was quite studious," said Tara.
Charlotte was also excelling at karate and had represented New Zealand at the world championships in Las Vegas.
"We were so very proud of her."
But a routine blood test changed everything.
"It came back with worrying levels of creatinine — that's the protein that if you have an excess of shows your kidneys are not working properly. She had a few more tests and it was deemed there were some worrying alarms going off about her kidney function.
"And it kind of snowballed from there."
Despite having no family history, a scan later revealed both her kidneys were dying.
"They were just withering away and closing up shop."
The decision was made to put Charlotte on dialysis, which she had from home for 10 hours every day.
"We put the machine in her room. She would start about 8pm and do it overnight."
"Normally, going to school I'd have to worry about homework. To go from that to worrying about whether you're going to live or not. It all happened so fast," reflected Charlotte.
"It was difficult to explain to my friends... because it's an invisible disease because it doesn't look like anything's wrong with you. They thought I was lying."
Lynette Knuff works in the Taranaki Base Hospital's Renal Unit. She says kidney dialysis isn't easy.
"Dialysis is probably one of the most invasive treatments you're ever going to have, apart from chemo. The difference is that they're on for three, five, seven, maybe 10 years. They have to do it."
Eventually, it became obvious dialysis wasn't going to be enough to keep Charlotte alive. She needed a kidney transplant.
'A fat juicy kidney waiting for you'
So her mum decided to donate one of her own.
"You only really need one kidney. I was like, she can have one of mine, if mine's all good she can have my kidney. It wasn't a hard decision for me. The outcome was my focus, to keep my daughter alive."
In the year preceding the transplant, Tara had undergone multiple tests, just in case.
"I had blood tests, MRIs, CT scans, every single test. I even had a chat with a psychologist to make sure I was in my right mind.
"I was told once I donated it I couldn't get it back, which was pretty obvious to me. I lost some weight and had already cut down on alcohol. But they weren't quick coming back on whether I was a match."
"Being rural it's harder to get tests, harder to get anything done fast, within the time they need it," said Knuff.
Eventually, the news came through that Tara was indeed a match, and she and Charlotte had surgery in Auckland Hospital in 2020.
"Mum went in first. I asked the doctors if we could pass each other in the hallway because we were each other's cheerleaders. I remember seeing my mum in her hospital bed with all the doctors around her.
"She said, 'I have a fat juicy kidney waiting for you'. It really eased my mind going in and knowing she was fine."
Today is Organ Donation Thank You Day. Last year, 184 New Zealanders were saved by organ donation, thanks to 63 deceased donors.
"I think they're amazing," said Knuff.
"They're heroes without a cape. And not just the live donors, but the deceased ones, too. And the families that sit in ICU and have to have to make that devastating decision to give part of their family member away."
Across New Zealand, 600 Kiwis are waiting for kidney transplants, 32 of them in Taranaki.
"I didn't do it for big thanks or notoriety. I needed to do it, I wanted to do it I'm glad I've done it. There's no parent who should outlive their child," said Tara.
Charlotte is now making new plans for the future.
"I went and got my license which is great, I couldn't do that beforehand. I'm getting married. All of this stuff wouldn't have happened if my Mum hadn't donated to me.
"She's my guardian angel."
SHARE ME