“Without Southmead’s innovative approaches to my treatment and care, people like me simply would not be here today.”
Steve never knew what a healthy life was like. Before he was even born his parents knew he would need dialysis. Known as Baby X, he was the first baby in the world to have a blockage to the posterior urethral valve diagnosed through an ultrasound scan.
“I started dialysis at just 17 and was on it for 11 years. I needed multiple operations before I was even eligible for a kidney transplant list.
I finally went on the kidney transplant list in 2007 and shortly after I received my first kidney transplant. This kidney started to fail last year, 17 years after my transplant. I restarted dialysis and went back on the list. I expected to have to wait about two years, so I was surprised to have a call just two weeks later that there was a match. It happened so quickly.”
Steve’s second donated kidney was preserved using Southmead’s innovative Hypothermic Machine Perfusion (HMP) – a cutting-edge machine made possible thanks to generous donations to Southmead Hospital Charity.
“It is so cool to be one of the patients lucky enough to benefit from the HMP machine. I am so grateful to the renal team at Southmead Hospital. Without their innovative approaches to my treatment and care, people like me simply would not be here today.”
