Kidney'versary' - 10 years since a lifesaving transplant
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Ten years ago this weekend, a profound act of brotherly love changed two lives forever. In 2016, John Reynolds faced severe kidney failure and his health was deteriorating rapidly. Step forward, big brother Ed, who didn't hesitate to offer the ultimate gift, his own kidney. And a decade on, the brothers are not just surviving, they are thriving and they join me in studio. John and Ed, you're both very welcome.
What led to John's kidney failure?
Thanks a million for coming in.
Thanks, David.
John, ten years. Does it feel like ten years?
No, no. It's flown in. Yeah.
Yeah, it's flown in. And Ed, I mean, this operation 10 years ago this weekend, it's a huge stage in both of your lives and in your relationship with each other, I presume.
Yeah, for sure. Sure, it really is. I mean, I was saying to one of the girls on the way in, sometimes you forget it happened. You know, it becomes so normal from something that was so big. But it really has. It's flown through, but it... has been a significant kind of milestone in our lives. Yeah, absolutely.
John, take me back 10 years ago or even take me back further. When did you realise that you had a problem?
I was called into the Mater Hospital in 2003 to say that there's something wrong with your kidneys. And then I was sent away to say, you'll be grand. We won't see you until you're in your 60s or 70s when your kidneys will give you problems.
And did they tell you, I mean, what was caused by that? Was it a disease?
It was a reflux. It's called reflux. Whatever happens to your urine, it was refluxing back into the kidney.
Okay, and at that stage they told you... You'd be grand. You have a problem, but you'd be grand. Yeah.
But you weren't. I wasn't. And then in 2014, I hit the deck. I was in college in All Hollows, studying theology and psychology. And I hit the deck, and then I went into the hospital to be told by the doctors, it is your... heart that you know that's giving you the trouble but you need to talk to your gp so i had to go to the gp to tell me that you're gonna need a kidney transplant in two years time or else oh my god yeah yeah yeah that's terribly traumatic news to get yeah yeah it was it was the the carpet was pulled literally from under me and everything just went downhill from there.
So what are the options? I mean, we hear about dialysis and so on. I mean, was that an option for you?
Dialysis was an option. But I mean, what happened for me was when I was told, I just went... Blinkers went down. I went into the depression, into a really low place. And I was told that you don't need dialysis yet. All you need to do is just keep coming into the hospital every week, you know, to get checked. And, yeah, they were keeping the kidney alive in the matter, you know.
OK. And, I mean, how does your health develop over those couple of years?
I've... Faded away. Yeah, I faded away. I've lost a lot of weight and stuff. And then at the end, like your feelings on your fingers and your eyes start going and your hearing starts going. Literally, you just start to pack in.
What was John's experience leading up to the transplant?
The body is starting to shut down because your kidney isn't working. Yeah. Okay. Ed, it must have been difficult to see your brother in that kind of situation.
It was, it really was. And I got a call from my sister to let me know of the severity of John's condition that had taken quite a downturn. And my reaction was to, well, I'll ring him and I'll offer to step forward to donate a kidney. That was my knee-jerk reaction, so to speak.
And it seemed like the... Because not everybody, even though you're related, it's not necessarily going to be transplantable.
Yes, yes, yes. I mean, I knew a donor and I knew a recipient. So I was aware, I had been in conversations with people throughout the years, friends of mine that had both received a kidney and another guy who had donated a kidney. So the taboo was less for me, you know, and... when i offered it to john he kind of shrugged it off going sure it'll not come to that yeah sure thanks but you know it won't come to that and sure i think it was a year just over a year afterwards we were we were both yeah in bowman for the op and uh john when you heard that ed was going to i mean very incredible act of generosity i suppose how did you feel when you heard that
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