'Kidney transplant has given me a second chance'

Michelle Cotterill said she had been "given a second chance to live a healthy life"

A woman who has lived with kidney disease since childhood is urging people to join the organ donor list, after she experienced a "new lease of life" following a transplant.

Michelle Cotterill, from Wednesfield in Wolverhampton, said she wanted to highlight during Organ Donation Week, which runs until 28 September, the life-saving differences donors can make.

Ms Cotterill was diagnosed with hereditary kidney disease as a child, and also had a kidney removed after developing polycystic kidney disease.

She said the transplant hugely improved her life and was "something I never thought I'd get, and I feel incredibly grateful".

The 46-year-old validation clerk at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, underwent a transplant in January at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after being on dialysis for more than five years, which she said "just became normal".

"From my experience, people may be hesitant [to donate], and I was put off for many years myself. But everything was smooth and it wasn't as bad as you think," she said.

"This Organ Donation Week, I feel it is so important to have a conversation about donating.

"I have been given a second chance to live a healthy life and be there for my kids and granddaughter."

'Discuss donation'

Following her operation and a three-week recovery period in hospital, she continued follow-up care at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, and was able to begin a phased return to work just eight weeks later, the trust said.

"My family has been a huge part of my transplant and is the driving force for me getting myself on the list, as I put it off for so long - especially my wife, who I can't thank enough for the support she gave me. She is my absolute rock.

"I would like to thank any donors or families who agreed to donate. It helps so many lives."

She advised people to discuss donation with family because "having that conversation could mean giving someone the chance of a healthier, longer life, just like I was given", she added.

The trust said figures released in the summer reveal that more than 8,000 people, including 276 children, were on the transplant waiting list by the end of March 2025 – the highest number on record.