Kidney couple one in five million

Ms Morgan's partner of five years is a positive match for an organ transplant. File photo / NZ Herald

Whakatane couple Shelley Morgan and Jeremy Johnson really are a perfect match.

When Ms Morgan's kidneys completely failed three years ago, forcing her to undergo daily dialysis, it was not a member of her own family who proved a positive organ match but her partner of five years.

According to the couple, the odds of this happening are one in five million.

"It wasn't only a match but our chromosomes were so near perfect the doctor couldn't believe it," said Mr Johnson. "He thought I must be donating for a family member."

Ms Morgan developed the auto-immune disease lupus when she was 22, which affected her internal organs including her kidneys.

She said after she finished breastfeeding her son Matthew, who was born prematurely almost five years ago, she had a major lupus flare-up and spent eight months in hospital.

Left with less than 10 per cent kidney function, she was on dialysis for 10 hours every night for three years before receiving her kidney transplant in April.

The couple were both out of hospital within five days but Mr Johnson did not did not get back to work for six weeks. Six months on, he said he still felt tired sometimes but was almost back to normal.

For Ms Morgan, who was well used to surgical procedures, it was "a doddle"

She spent four weeks in Auckland being monitored following the surgery instead of the usual six, and now feels great.

- NZPA