When I first posted it, I thought that it would be shared between family, friends and acquaintances of mine and Jo's. At no point did I ever imagine that it would get as many views and support as it has to date.
I didn't even consider how many views it would receive. Now, I am checking every few days and thinking "Woah! Thousands and thousands of people all over the planet are reading about my brave little sister and, more than that, they care!" It really is incredibly touching and I want to say "thank you" again and again.
Those two words just don't seem enough though. We say them every single day, don't we? To people in shops for serving us, to friends and family for a cup of tea, to strangers on the telephone and hundreds of other people without even thinking about it.
You know when you get those days and everything just goes wrong? Sometimes, if you're lucky, one person will make a gesture that melts your heart. They lighten the load in such a way that the words "thank you" just don't seem enough. Well, that's exactly how Jo and I are feeling right now.
Nevertheless, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
As a direct result of each person who has cared enough to share the blog, join our Facebook page or retweet our pleas on Twitter, we have had hundreds of people coming forward to register as a donor for Jo.
Now, I thought that this was fab but, as we all know, things are never straightforward.
The renal unit is wonderful but has limited time, staff and resources to deal with such an increase on their workload. Please remember that I expected 5-10 potential donors to come from this.
In order to manage the workload, they have asked that, for now, only relatives and friends of Jo are registered. After that, if no donor is found, we can cast the net wider.
To donate a kidney, it is imperative that you are in good health. The main points to consider are:
- Weight. You must be within the normal healthy weight range for your height and build. You cannot be over or underweight.
- Cancer. You must not have, at any point in your life, suffered from cancer. High risk groups for cancer (eg family history) are also excluded. Check with your doctor about this.
- Mental illness. No past or previous mental illness. There are rigorous psychological tests involved with donating a kidney.
- Any long term health problems, especially heart, kidney or other organ illness.
- Pregnancy. You will not be considered if you have given birth within 12 months or are trying for a baby either.
I know that you may read this and think that it makes perfect sense but the amount of people getting in touch despite suffering from any of the above is astounding. It's lovely to know that so many people care but kidney donation is life saving and not intended to risk life in any way.
After all, my kidney would have been a great match for Jo but, due to my own medical condition, it can't be used. I suffer from an autoimmune disease which affects my connective tissue. It may or may not progress to affect my kidneys. On that basis, I'm out. If you suffer from Lupus, UCTD, MCTD or other similar diseases, you won't get tested. Believe me, I had my medical file looked at by an entire team of experts just so that I could move on from the guilt and what ifs. I cried and begged but that's how it is. The health of a donor is precious and is more of a concern to the transplant team that that of the recipient. The last thing that they want or need is another renal patient down the line and the last thing Jo needs is the burden of the guilt of someone getting ill to give her a kidney.
It also doesn't mean that we want all of the support and encouragement to stop either. Jo is extremely lifted when I tell her about celebrity retweets, how many daily views we've had and all of the wonderful messages of support, stories from people who've had transplants and donated kidneys.
You can also still help, right now, if you've been touched enough by Jo's story and would like to save the life of someone with kidney failure by sharing your spare. Visit the national register to find out more about altruistic kidney donation. It is the greatest gift you can give to someone.
If sharing your spare is not an option for you, how about some fundraising for Kidney Research UK?
I will keep you posted.
Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. x
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