The Quest Continues, Hope Builds and Our Gratitude is Unmeasurable

Since posting the blog on Tuesday, I am delighted to be able to say that we have, so far, received around 4,000 views.

Me holding baby Jo

I had a call from the hospital yesterday thanking Jo and me for raising awareness but they very politely asked if we could take down the contact details of the renal unit as they had received more calls and emails than they could handle. That shows exactly just how many people have actually made a decision to something selfless and truly amazing!

I've replaced those details with an email address bigsisjude@gmail.com which I've set up purely to enable any potential donors with blood type A or O to send me their name, address and date of birth.

Every week, I will send the information to the renal unit so that they can process and get in touch with people as soon as they can.

I've also posted links to the National Donor Register and Kidney Research UK  I know nothing about the process for non UK residents but I am sure that a search for your nearest donor register will point you in the right direction.

Jo and I cannot thank each person who has shared the blog, thought about donating and, especially those who are taking steps to make it happen, enough. Not only are we closer to finding a kidney for Jo but, due the power of the Internet and (more than anything else) the compassion of people all over the World, other people whose lives are dominated by the effects of kidney failure will find donors too.

With around 50,000 people in the UK alone on dialysis, the need for kidney donors is overwhelming. What must the global figure be? Massive, is my best estimate.

Tomorrow (10 August 2012), Jo's story will be appearing in the Bristol Evening Post after a lovely interview with Vicki Mathias this afternoon. We also had some photographs taken and Jo looked gorgeous. 

On Friday 17 August, we also made the front page of the Weston Mercury after an interview with Bethan Evans who was really sweet.

This morning, I went through a suitcase of old photographs which used to belong to our grandparents. I was hoping to find a photo of Jo in her now famous Big Boss Trousers. I couldn't find one but I did come across some rather sweet pictures..

Jo in hospital. Christmas Eve 1984

Looking at the photographs made me quite emotional and I found myself wishing that our grandfather, Roy Shipley, (known as "Grancha") was here today.

Jo (left) and me with our Grancha

He passed away in 2006 from a heart attack which was caused by his own renal failure. He'd been on dialysis for 2 years and declined the chance to join the transplant list as he didn't want to deprive a younger person of the chance to receive the gift of a new kidney.

Jo and I have both thought of him a lot lately. It's mainly down to the fact that Jo has dialysis in the same unit as he did at Ambleside unit in Weston General Hospital. In fact, some of the people he dialysed with are still attending. He used to really enjoy going and referred to it as "the office". The staff there are fantastic and look after all of the patients wonderfully. 

It's also very frightening as we know, first hand, just what can happen when your kidneys (or kidney in Jo's case) stop working. 

As before, if you are blood type A or O and would like to be tested as a living kidney donor for Joanne Shipley, please email your name, date of birth, address and blood type to  bigsisjude@gmail.com . Please read my important information post here before emailing.

If your blood type is not A or O but you would still like to change the life of a person with kidney failure, there are thousands of people just like Jo waiting for a donor. Visit  Becoming a Kidney Donor  for more details.

The first stage of testing takes 4 weeks. This determines whether or not a potential donor is a match for the patient by comparing tissue types to see which (if any) match. It isn't a fast procedure by any means but, the sooner people come forward to commence testing, the sooner people like Jo can receive the greatest gift that anyone could ever give them - life.

There are also rigorous psychological tests and other tests to carry out. It can take from 6 -12 months.

If you can't donate for any reason but would like to help in any way you can, please visit Kidney Research UK 

Please keep sharing this blog in every way you can. By doing so, you are making a difference to someone's life.

Thank you again, each and every one of you.