The Happy Pod: Donating my kidney transformed a child's life
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How did donating a kidney transform a child's life?
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
Life is better with a story.
This is the Happy Pod for the BBC World Service.
I'm Vanessa Heaney and in this edition... I was crying, his mum was crying. It was just lovely to see him so happy and healthy.
My tears could not stop. I could not stop giving her a hug. Yeah, he is an angel.
A woman who donated a kidney to a stranger has met the young boy whose life she saved. A new technology could dramatically increase the number of available organ transplants.
The impact of this product is typically increasing the number of organs that are being transplanted, something between 20 and 30%.
Also, a media platform run by and for young people with disabilities that's hoping to challenge misconceptions. Plus, a Grand Prix for cows and an unusual group of knitters. It genuinely makes it easier to go through life having that thing to do with my hands. And it has made it so much easier for me to connect with society.
We start the programme with a rare meeting between an organ donor and the young boy whose life she saved. Ali Coyle had agreed to donate one of her kidneys to a stranger, and she was matched with five-year-old Xavier. It's unusual for living donors to meet those who receive their organs, as very little information is shared. But Ali, who's 40 and from Northern Ireland, wrote to the boy's family and included a toy plane from the airline she works for as a pilot. They used that information to track her down and got in touch via social media. Xavier's parents, Hira Zahir and Uma Saeed, who live in London, explained why it was important for them to meet her.
It was a rollercoaster ride for us, to be honest. Xavier, previously, I remember he used to not eat well. It was a struggle for me, giving him medicines, giving him food he was not growing properly but after the transplant life changed he is here all healthy happy running around no one can tell by looking at him that he got his kidney transplant just this year yeah luckily he's like very energetic after the transplant surgery even after the transplant a couple of months he had like a sports day
And he won first prize in throwing. And he said that I can run really fast after that surgery.
I really wanted to meet in person and thank that person. When she sent a card, literally, my tears could not stop. It was a beautiful moment to receive a card from her. And then finally, we were lucky enough to meet her. She's part of our family now.
She was an angel to us, to be honest.
Literally, when I met her, my tears could not stop. I could not stop giving her a hug. Instantly, it felt like I'm meeting a sister. Yeah, he is an angel.
And she is very, very nice person, to be honest. She is very nice.
You know, when we were not finding a match, we were hopeless, we were helpless. And I believe it is very, very important to spread this awareness that one kind gesture of a person, how it can change lives of so many people, to be honest.
Literally, yeah.
She just donated kidney to my son, but it changed life of our whole family, to be honest. I cannot thank her enough for her kind gesture and
And for the kindness she did, she changed our life.
Ali was inspired to donate her kidney after failing to match with a friend who needed a transplant. And Xavier's father, Uma, also donated a kidney to another patient. Ali spoke to the BBC's Stephen Watson. I just thought, you know, if it was someone in my family who needed a kidney and someone could donate to them, then I would want them to do that. So I just thought, well, if I was going to donate to one person, I might as well donate to another person.
And how did you feel when the family got in touch?
To be honest with you, I was delighted because I was very curious about them. Obviously, it's a part of my body. It's one of my organs. And I was really curious to see where it had gone to. So when they reached out and I was able to see that the little boy was really healthy and that my kidney had started working for him and that it had really changed his life.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did donating a kidney transform a child's life?
0:00–6:20
2
What innovative technology is improving organ transplant success?
6:20–7:59
3
What is Cripple Media and how does it empower young disabled people?
7:59–12:13
4
What unique event involves cow racing in a Swiss village?
12:13–15:55
5
What newly rediscovered works of Bach were performed recently?
15:55–18:46
6
Why are more men taking up knitting?
18:46–24:04
7
How does knitting impact mental health and social connections?
24:04–27:06
8
What uplifting stories are shared in this episode?
27:06–27:30