A mother who has undergone three kidney transplants and more than 15 blood transfusions is hoping a new “double matched” blood programme will help her secure a fourth transplant.
Fighting for a fourth transplant
Johanna Bridges, a mental health nurse, has lived with kidney disease for 35 years, enduring decades of dialysis and hospital visits. Due to high sensitisation, she fears she “doesn't have a hope in hell” of getting another transplant. Her chances of receiving a transplant in the next three years are less than 10 per cent, despite being a priority patient. More than 7,000 people in the UK are waiting for a kidney transplant.
The NHS Blood and Transplant Service (NHSBT) hopes the new programme, which matches blood for both red and white blood cells, will reduce the number of people waiting decades for a transplant and prevent up to 100 kidney transplants being rejected each year.
Johanna's story
Johanna told Glasgow Live: “I feel like I am fighting for my life. I feel like I don't have a chance of getting a transplant due to my sensitisation.” She added: “Matched blood like this is definitely a step in the right direction. Anything which can stop the number of antibodies increasing, especially for younger people who might need several transplants, is a positive.”
Johanna was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) at age three, which causes scarring to kidney filters. She spent much of her childhood on dialysis before receiving her first transplant in 1995 from a deceased donor, followed by transplants from her mum in 2008 and her brother in 2012.
Johanna previously said: “I've spent most of my life battling kidney disease. I felt like it took everything from me at times - my education, my career, my relationships, and my mental health. My antibody levels are so high now that I may never receive another kidney transplant. That's frightening.” She urged people to support organ donation, including altruistic donation, saying: “Donation literally saves lives when people have kidney failure. There are younger people desperate for their lives.”
Impact of double matched blood
Providing double matched blood reduces the risk of HLA antibody formation and complications. However, NHSBT says there is an urgent need for more kidney donors, as around 250 to 300 people die waiting for a kidney transplant each year.
Dr Colin Brown from NHS Blood and Transplant said: “Blood transfusions save lives but for people on the transplant waiting list they carry a particular risk. By providing a new service to the wider NHS where we double match blood for white cells as well as red cells, we can reduce kidney rejection, and help stop so many people waiting many years for a match or even dying before they receive one. Innovation like this will help us meet our ambition of a world where everyone has the opportunity of getting transplant, where indicated.”
