A mum is donating one of her kidneys to her son after he had his last remaining organ removed, so he can live a "normal" life. Elliot Plimley, 11, was born with only one kidney and has faced the challenges of kidney disease with courage. On June 15 this year, his remaining kidney was removed.
Dialysis and hospital visits
Since May 21, Elliot has travelled to Manchester Children's Hospital between four and five times a week for dialysis, as his remaining kidney was not functioning as needed. Dialysis is an artificial replacement for failing kidneys and filters waste, extra fluid and toxins from the blood.
Doctors then decided the next step would be for his only kidney to be removed and for his mum to donate one of hers on October 15, to give him a new lease on life. Despite the hardships, Elliot has taken the challenges of his condition head-on with courage.
Family's hopes for a normal life
Vicky Conchie, from Bolton, said there had been moments since Elliot's last kidney was removed where he struggled with missing out on spending time with friends due to hospital visits. "He's seeing all his friends go to secondary school, because at the minute he does two days a week, but he will be finishing that this week because he's got to isolate for two weeks before the transplant," his mum told The Mirror.
"It gets hard to explain this to him because he gets upset and he says, in his words, 'Why can't I be a normal child? Why do have to be so different?,'" the 37-year-old teaching assistant added. "And when you hear that from your child who's getting upset and crying, as a mum, it's heart-breaking, because it's like 'you're not, you're no different that anybody else, it's just you've got a few extra bits and bobs."
Elliot is desperate to be with his friends and enjoys swimming, with his mum calling him a "massive water baby." But due to having a stoma bag, to allow waste to leave the body, he is currently unable to enjoy his favourite hobby to the fullest.
Fundraising for a family getaway
Vicky hopes that by donating one of her kidneys, Elliot will be able to have fun with friends and not miss out on going to school. "He'll have this new lease of life, a new lease of energy and then just go into the world and be happy, normal, and not have to worry about the small little things," Vicky said. "Because, at the moment, our life is going to the hospital, coming home and, as a family, we have one day where we don't have to worry about a hospital or school appointment."
Once Vicky and Elliot have recovered from their operations, the family is keen to travel for their first major holiday abroad. After turning down family members' offers to go on holiday due to Elliot's regular hospital visits, they hope this could be the opportunity for a getaway to Turkey.
Vicky's sister Georgina, 36, has since set up a GoFundMe page so Elliot, his sister Ava, seven, and Vicky can have a wonderful getaway to remember. "It just means so much more as a family to go and actually celebrate in the way he wants to celebrate, which is going abroad and spending his day by the pool or, say, going to the beach. He won't need to worry about the fact he's in the sea, or that we've not put a stoma bag on him or if it's falling off...He can just wear shorts and go and enjoy himself."
As of Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe page for the family holiday has raised £300 out of a £2,200 target.
