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Transplant is the ultimate gift this Christmas

17/12/2019
This article is more than four years old.

An organ transplant recipient is looking forward to a very special Christmas with his family after receiving a life-changing donation.

Michael Murray received a kidney transplant earlier this year at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in an operation to combat polycystic kidney disease.

The 56-year-old hairdresser had long struggled for energy as a result of his condition but, thanks to his operation at the Oxford Transplant Centre, based at the Churchill Hospital, he will be able to jet off and spend Christmas in New York with his wife and son.

Michael, who is looking forward to walking as much as possible and taking in the tourist sights, said: "We are visiting New York this Christmas for five nights, and this is the first time in a while that I have felt the energy to be able to travel.

"The last few years I had been feeling very tired and nausea with no energy and a trip like this was totally out of the question.

"Above all, I'm most looking forward to finally being able to spend quality time with my family."

Thank you

Michael is keen to pay credit to those who looked after him.

He said: "The transplanted kidney has made such an improvement to my life. I only had one month off work following the operation, and felt so much more energised so quickly.

"The transplant team were amazing - the nurses went through everything very thoroughly, and we were able to call any time with a question. The day itself went incredibly smoothly - I said goodbye to my wife and went into theatre, and the first thing I noticed on waking up was that I didn't feel sick anymore. I had so much more energy, and was able to go home after four days."

Michael's transplant journey started when he and his wife saw a television programme about a husband donating a kidney to his wife.

Michael's wife Gail offered to donate a kidney, but found that she was not a match for him - instead she donated to a stranger, whose donor provided the kidney for Michael, as part of the national 'paired exchange' system which increases the number of kidney transplants from living donors.

Michael said: "I was naturally worried about Gail donating her kidney, but she was insistent that this was the way forward.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the amazing staff at Oxford - they are an incredible team. And of course to my wonderful wife who made this possible."

He added: "Me and my family are so looking forward to being able to live a normal life and will be forever grateful to the donor and the wonderful team at the Churchill."

5,000th transplant

Michael's operation in April coincided with doctors at the Churchill Hospital performing their 5,000th transplant operation.

The landmark operation earlier this year (March) was reached after 44 years of organ transplantation at the Oxford Transplant Centre at the Churchill Hospital.

As well as the 5,000th transplant, this year Oxford celebrated its 50th intestinal transplant and is nearly at its 1,000th pancreas transplant.

Professor Peter Friend, Director of the Oxford Transplant Centre, said: "Transplantation is one of the major medical success stories of the last 50 years, as witnessed by more than 50,000 patients who are living with functioning transplants in the UK. Oxford has played an important part in this, and my colleagues and I are all immensely proud to have been able to contribute.

"Of course, we are very aware of the commitment and generosity of donors and their families who make this possible. I'm incredibly glad to see how organ transplantation has changed Michael's life, and I wish him and his family all the best for the future - and indeed a wonderful trip to the States."