A mother's desperate search for a kidney donor for her seriously ill daughter took a 'really bonkers' turn when the journalist she approached for help turned out to be a perfect match.
Maria Solecki, from Hadleigh, Essex, described the unexpected development after her 16-year-old daughter, Maya, suffered severe kidney damage following an E.coli infection in January 2024. Ms Solecki, 48, had been tested herself but was not a suitable donor, nor were other family members or contacts found via social media.
Deciding to broaden her appeal, she contacted her local newspaper, the Echo, in March 2025. In what she called a 'very unexpected twist', the reporter assigned to the story was found to be compatible. The transplant operation successfully took place in January this year.
Ms Solecki expressed her profound gratitude, stating her hope that the journalist, 51-year-old Emma Palmer, 'remains part of Maya’s life forever'. Maya described Ms Palmer as 'my hero' and added: 'I keep telling her I wish there was a bigger phrase than thank you.'
Ms Palmer, writing in the Echo, said she decided to get tested after learning that no one had yet been found. Asked why she decided to give a kidney, she said: 'Why wouldn’t I? I’ve had 50 good years and am blessed with a wonderful and healthy family. To think that a 15-year-old girl – as she was at the time – was having to go through so much and giving up hope just really got to me.'
Ms Solecki said the wait for a donor kidney can be more than three years and there are some 150 children waiting for a kidney. 'The call to action is for anyone who might want to donate to a child or a young person, please don’t hesitate and get somebody else off dialysis and give them a chance at a normal life,' she said.
