'My sister's kidney gave me a fabulous life'

Pearl Anderson, left, donated her kidney to sister Dawn Plant, right, 40 years ago

Two sisters have marked 40 years since one donated her kidney to the other and became a city's first live organ donor.

Dawn Plant, from Cellarhead, near Stoke-on-Trent, suffered with years of health complications and had to be treated with dialysis after she was diagnosed with small kidneys in 1982.

In February 1985, her sister Pearl Anderson approached staff about kidney donations and asked if she could be a potential donor.

She was found to be compatible and a month later, on 15 March, the pair underwent a transplant surgery at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary.

The operation made history as it was the first live organ donation to be carried out in Stoke-on-Trent, according to the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).

Mrs Plant, now 64, said she was able to live a normal life "just like anyone else" after the operation and had her sister to thank.

"After my kidney transplant, my life was absolutely fabulous," she said.

'Something really special'

Ms Anderson, who was 26 at the time of donating her kidney, said she has "lived a lovely life" with only one kidney, having two children and "great health".

She said: "After seeing Dawn's quality of life improve so much, I would really recommend that people look into living donation as it really is just brilliant."

Mrs Plant started experiencing issues with the donated kidney 32 years later and had to go on the transplant list before her husband Glyn donated one of his kidneys in 2018.

"We are now both retired, have been married for 45 years and have two grandchildren so it is fantastic that this gift has allowed us to keep enjoying our life together as a family," Mrs Plant said.

Kay Dimmick, clinical nurse specialist at UHNM, said Mrs Plant's story was "amazing" and watching her case evolve over the years was "something really special".

"It is really important that people research the benefit of donating a kidney and how it can transform people's lives, just like Dawn," she said.