Gift of kidney lifeline for son

Hastings father Stephen Payne says a kidney donated by his mother Sharon eight years ago gave him a 'new, fresh life'. Photo / Duncan Brown

Hastings mother Sharon Payne said there was no hesitation and has no regret from giving a kidney to son Stephen eight years ago.

He suffers a rare bone disease that came with renal failure.

"We knew what was going to happen, it was just a matter of when. When he was about 17 his kidneys failed. Both my husband and I were prepared to give him our kidney but I was the better match," she said.

Dialysis had not agreed with him.

"I would get out of bed just to go the dialysis and then return home to bed," he said. "I got down to 40kg because if I ate anything I would throw it straight back up."

She said the Wellington operation went well.

"I didn't notice anything different to be honest. A lot of people told me it was really painful for the donor but in all honesty it was not that bad. I was discharged about 36 hours later and I have been fine."

A nurse by profession, she said she was not a good patient "but I did what I was told".

He said the new kidney was "pretty amazing".

"It gave me a new, fresh life."

Now 29 and married with three children, an unexpected legacy of renal failure has been unemployment. He has short forearms because of the bone disease that struck when he was growing but was employed before he got too sick to work.

He hopes for a job in the automotive industry, preferably driving.

"I went for a job in a Havelock rest home as a caregiver but they said I didn't have the experience they were looking for."