'My husband needed a kidney, so I gave him mine'

A woman who saved her husband's life by donating a kidney has said it was one of the "most beautiful things" she has ever done - second only to having children.

Kieran Hodgson, 48, from Barnsley, has polycystic kidney disease, a hereditary condition which saw his kidney function drop to 11%.

His 42-year-old wife Emma became a living donor, undergoing the operation at the Sheffield Kidney Institute, part of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Kieran said: "I cannot thank her enough, it's the ultimate gift. It doesn't matter what I say or do, it's never going to be enough to repay her."

Kieran was diagnosed with his condition when he was 35, and his symptoms had gradually worsened over time - but they "went off the rails" in 2024, Kieran said.

He began to experience numbness and tingling in his limbs, fatigue and atrial fibrillation, meaning his heart started beating irregularly.

"It was devastating, I was absolutely terrified we were going to run out of time," Emma said.

Kieran was placed on the deceased donor transplant list, but also given an information pack about the living donor scheme, which would allow him to receive a kidney from a friend or relative.

However, he did not want Emma to donate hers.

The couple, from Monk Bretton, have two children, and there is a chance their daughter, Annalise, 16, has inherited the same kidney disease as Kieran.

He wanted Emma to save her kidney in case Annalise one day needed a transplant of her own.

Despite this, Emma said she "stole" the forms from the glovebox of his car, where he "tried to hide" them from her, and applied to be tested to find out if she would be a suitable donor.

"Emma was absolutely adamant from the start she was going to do it, I didn't have much say in it - but that's just testament to her and how special she is," Kieran said.

The results came back positive, and the transplant was successfully completed on 27 February this year.

Both are set to make a full recovery, although Kieran will have to take medication for the rest of his life to stop his body rejecting the new kidney.

"Everything's been on hold, but now, I'm starting to look to the future again," he said.

In Sheffield, around 20 living donor kidney transplants take place every year, according to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

It said they typically offered better outcomes to recipients due to the overall health of the donor, the immediacy of the donation and the transplanted kidneys usually lasting longer.

Since Kieran's transplant, he and Emma are encouraging others to consider becoming a living donor.

"The thought of doing it all was unbelievably scary, but the whole process, you're in really good hands," Kieran said.

Emma added: "Don't let that little bit of anxiety or fear put you off.

"It's the most beautiful thing, apart from having my children, that I have ever experienced."

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