A Stockport woman has saved her brother's life after deciding to donate her kidney - without him ever asking. For Rachel Ware, there was never any doubt that she would step in to save her brother Harry. The 24-year-old simply texted him the life-changing news.
"I guess some people might find it odd, but Rachel and I never had that conversation," said Harry, 22. "She never asked if I wanted her kidney and I never asked to have it. She spoke to my mum about it and just texted me saying she wanted to do it."
A "special bond" put to the test
The siblings say they have always been close, but when Harry became seriously ill while studying at university in London, that "special bond" took on a new significance. While at uni, Harry began to feel "weird". He suffered from bad cramps and needed the toilet more than usual.
He said: "By the time I reached my third year, I was sick all the time and couldn't stay awake. We'd be hosting parties and I'd be asleep in my room. Looking back, I was properly ill, but I just kept going with it. My parents saw me at Christmas and were so worried because I couldn't stand up without becoming breathless."
"I eventually went for a blood test where they immediately put me in a taxi to an A&E department in London due to how poorly I was and the risk of fainting. I was kept in longer than expected whilst the doctors looked into my diagnosis. After five days, they came back with Alport syndrome, a rare kidney condition. My kidney function was five per cent, so the conversations about a transplant happened really early on."
Becoming the primary donor
"It all felt very quick," Rachel said. "He'd never been poorly before, so going from messages saying he was unwell to being diagnosed with kidney failure in a matter of weeks was a shock."
Harry's family immediately began discussing how they could help. Their younger brother Oliver offered to donate first, but was deemed too young. "After that, they said my medical history suggested I might be viable, so I became the primary donor," Rachel explained. "There was zero pressure from anyone in the family. It was very much our decision to make and the family supported whatever that decision would be."
The pair then embarked on the ten-month donor assessment process at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI), during which extensive physical and psychological criteria had to be met.
A thorough assessment and successful transplant
Lisa Mulreid, one of the Living Donor Transplant Co-ordinators at the MRI, said a full sibling is often considered one of the "best potential donors" for a living donor kidney transplant. This is because they have the highest chance of sharing the same tissue type, with a 25 per cent chance of each sibling being a full match and a 50 per cent chance of being a partial match.
She explained: "There's a lot of work involved, and it's a very thorough process. We check their medical history and current health, test their blood, and the donor will have scans to assess their kidneys in greater depth. We also assess the function of their liver, thyroid and heart. It's basically a full health MOT."
Thankfully, Rachel was a suitable match - and the pair's operations took place one after the other in the same renal transplant department. Lisa, who cared for Harry and Rachel alongside her team, said: "In the build-up to the procedure, the pair sat by each other's bedside without fear. They both described being focused on getting through the procedure and spoke of the sense of reassurance provided by the renal transplant team."
Recovery and a unique bond
Following the transplant, Harry has faced a complex recovery. He said: "Recovery has been tough in that I have to be cautious about potential infection. I haven't even hugged my mum yet. At one point it did look like my body might be rejecting Rachel's kidney. I couldn't bear to tell her after all we had been through."
Fortunately, Harry's kidney function is now at 67 per cent and "jumping up every day," he says. He added: "The biggest relief is not having to have dialysis anymore, as it started to rule my life. It's a really weird feeling to be able to think, 'Oh, I don't have to go and sit in a chair for hours now. The day is my own to use. It feels like I have my life back."
And for Rachel, she has described the changes she's seen in her brother's health that have made the whole experience "worth it". She said: "I couldn't believe the moment where my kidney is in Harry and it suddenly comes to life. It's all been worth it for moments like that or seeing Harry walking okay again. I was looking at my scar the other day and thought it's pretty cool that Harry now has a bit of me in him. We've been wondering whether he'll also get my mood swings… It is weird to think he has a piece of me in him, but I look at my scar and it's also like I have a piece of Harry with me forever. Almost like a tattoo to remind me of him."
As his older sister, Rachel says she has always "felt protective" over Harry, but never imagined she would end up saving his life. Now, the pair share a unique bond - and the matching scars to prove it.
