A Belfast couple have taken part in an incredible kidney transplant procedure which saved the lives of three people across the UK in just over six hours.

Ronnie and Ruth White took part in a complex six-way ‘domino’ procedure in January last year — a groundbreaking new technique which has completely changed the way kidney transplants can be carried out.

Under the domino system, Mr White (64) donated a kidney to a stranger from Coventry.

The patient’s relative then donated a kidney to another person in Portsmouth, and their relative donated a kidney to Mrs White (66).

The entire process took just over six hours and everyone involved is now leading a full and active life. Mr White explained: “We still can’t get our heads around the fact this was possible.

“As far as I know we were the first people in Northern Ireland to take part in this procedure, and some of the first in the UK. It’s absolutely incredible. I went into theatre at 9am and Ruth got her new kidney at about 3pm the very same day.”

Mrs White developed renal failure two years ago as a result of a life-threatening disorder where numerous cysts grow on the kidneys, and she was put on the transplant waiting list.

While it is possible for close relatives to donate a kidney, it was quickly established that her husband was not a match, so doctors were forced to look elsewhere for a suitable donor.

Mr White continued: “When we found out I wasn’t a match it never occurred to me that I could donate to someone else, but then we were told we might be suitable for this six-way procedure.

“As soon as I heard that I thought that if I could help I wanted to go ahead. I may not have known the person who was going to get my kidney, but ultimately Ruth would benefit and as far as I was concerned I had two kidneys and only needed one of them, so it was a pretty straightforward decision.

“The tests seemed to take such an age and there were a lot of legal issues as well, but we got there eventually. The first scheduled date for the transplant was postponed; we were told something had gone wrong in Coventry.

“Everything had to be in place before they could start, all the tests had to be done, everyone had to be healthy and the surgical teams had to be ready, so even something like one of the people having a cold could bring down the whole chain.

“The co-ordination was amazing. I went into theatre at 9am and they flew my kidney over to England. I was in the recovery room that evening and the nurses came in and told me that Ruth’s new kidney was already working well.

“Before the transplant Ruth was on dialysis and she was getting very run down. We weren’t able to go away without making plans for her to get her dialysis wherever we were, but we don’t need to do that anymore.

“Ruth is still on medication. She takes about 15 tablets a day and will do for the rest of her life just to make sure her body |doesn’t reject her kidney, but she is doing well.

“I was sore for a couple of weeks but I helped to save lives and it has made such a difference to Ruth. We’re very pleased with how it all went.”

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Text SAVE to 84118 or log onto www.organdonation.nhs.uk

Make your mark and help those in need

The Belfast Telegraph is today calling on people across Northern Ireland to help save lives by signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

There are currently 300 people in Northern Ireland waiting for an organ — eight of whom are children — yet less than a third of the population have taken the opportunity to add their names to the life-saving list of potential donors.

Latest statistics reveal the desperate need for people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register — in 2010/11, 15 people in Northern Ireland died before a suitable match was found for them to get the transplant they needed.

Six people were waiting for a kidney, four were on the list for a lung transplant and another five people were waiting for a liver. Mike Gilson, editor of the Belfast Telegraph, said: “The figures are startling and show the desperate need for more people to sign up to the register.

“We are delighted to add our support to such a wonderful cause. Adding your name to the register could save lives, which is why we are calling on our readers to sign up.”

Dr Eddie Rooney, chief executive of the Public Health Agency (PHA) and chair of the Northern Ireland Organ Donation Task Force Implementation Group, said: “To date, 26% of Northern Ireland’s population has registered as an organ donor. Although there has been a marked increase in the members of the public registering as donors, the PHA emphasises the importance of organ donation and the need for more people here to register.

“Ruth and Ronnie’s story is a really inspiring one and it represents the lengths that families, supported by organ donation co-ordinators, go to in order to find suitable donors for those waiting on the NHS transplant list.

“Many people may be unaware that six-way transplant procedures can occur, but they do happen and they save lives.

“Hopefully this story will encourage more people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donation Register as they can see the amount of lives that were saved through people signing up.”

In August Transplant Sport UK (TSUK) will bring 1,800 participants and their supporters to Belfast for the Westfield Health British Transplant Games.

The aim of the charity and the annual sporting event is to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by people waiting for an organ and encourage as many people as possible to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

More than 800 people between the ages of two and 82 who have had a transplant will take part in 18 sporting activities including archery, athletics, golf, squash, volleyball, snooker, tennis and swimming at locations in and around Belfast.

In order to raise vital funds for the Games and other TSUK sporting events, the charity is asking people to take part in the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon in May.

TSUK is an official marathon charity.

Handy tips

First-time marathon runner, local boxing hero and patron for Transplant Sport UK’s Marathon Campaign, Brian Magee (below), has a few tips on getting fit for the Belfast Marathon:

• Start slowly. Don’t expect to run for long during your first training session. Break it up with walking — push yourself as far as you can, but you must listen to your body.
• Recovery is the key and will ensure your next training session will also be successful.
• Stay hydrated — water ... and more water.
• Good shoes are a must.
• Stay motivated — get a training partner.
• Don’t get obsessed. It’s fitness and should be lots of fun ... and rewarding.