Woman 'grateful' for transplant as sisters on waiting list

One of three sisters living with the same genetic kidney disease said she is "incredibly grateful" to have received a transplant.

Cheryl Lear, Michelle 'Nobi' Cotterill and Samantha Bradley, who call themselves the "renal cysters", all have polycystic kidney disease (PKD), an inherited condition that causes cysts to develop in the kidneys.

Middle sister Ms Cotterill, 45, was placed on the transplant list in January and due to the severity of her condition had a new kidney within 13 hours.

During the operation, it was found that her kidney was 26 times the size of the average healthy organ.

The Wolverhampton trio's mother, Judy, also had the disease and died in 2000 from other health complications, aged 60.

The sisters, who all work at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, grew up without any symptoms and felt generally well until their early 30s, when they started to experience ill-health due to the condition – including extreme tiredness, infections and pain.

Ms Cotterill, a validation clerk for cancer services, said she had to take months off work after fatigue left her taking naps during her lunch break.

"It's a strange situation because I was happy to get the call, but I knew that my sister Sam is still waiting for a suitable donor," she said.

"She's been so supportive though, and so have my friends, family and work colleagues.

"I'm incredibly grateful."

According to the NHS, polycystic kidney disease affects between 30,000 - 70,000 people in the UK.

It is a genetic condition meaning people are born with the disease but it doesn't tend to cause noticeable problems until later in life.

It can cause kidney stones, UTIs and, in the most serious cases, kidney failure.

There is currently no known cure however it can be treated using dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Ms Bradley, 41, who works as a lung cancer specialist nurse, is on the waiting list for a new kidney.

The impact of her illness means she is currently unable to work in her clinical role and relies on crutches.

"It's a waiting game for a new kidney, but until then my dialysis is saving my life each day by removing the toxins in my body, so I've just got to stay positive," she said.

"But even in the difficult times, it's comforting as we've got each other. We know what each other is going through."

Ms Lear, 46, is an organisational development and engagement practitioner and her condition is being managed with medication but she is likely to need a transplant in the future.

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