"We saved Steven's life not once but twice by donating our kidneys"

There can be no greater gift than the gift of life through organ donation and when a loved one is unwell, you can feel helpless. Over a period of 30 years, both Mary and Oliver Hando had the opportunity to donate one of their kidneys and save their son and father’s life twice.

Mary first became aware of her son Steven’s chronic urinary problems when he was just 12 years old. Steven was rushed into hospital with suspected appendicitis, but it was soon obvious that it was his kidneys that were causing a great problem. 

Steven was transferred to St Phillips hospital in London where an operation was unable to save one kidney and showed the other one to have very low function, but it improved over time and then kept him going for 20 years.

Mary said; “After that time it was becoming clear that the kidney was not working well and that dialysis was needed. When it then became obvious that even dialysis was not enough and a transplant was a necessity, his father and I began tests for compatibility in order to become a live donor. We were both a good match but I was chosen to donate.”

“Obviously there was some apprehension – but what Mum wouldn’t do almost anything to save her child’s life? So, in July 1993 the transplant took place in the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. All seemed to go well except that it was a few days before the transplanted kidney began its work. Once it did, however, it was all systems go and Steven’s life was transformed for the next 29 years.”

“It took me a little while to completely recover. Keyhole surgery wasn’t available to me in 1993, but in 31 years since donating I have never felt that anything was ‘missing’.  My general health has been very good.”

Fast forward to 2019, Steven began having problems again and was eventually put on dialysis once more, with the need to find another donor. This is where Steven’s son, Oliver came in.

Oliver began his first round of testing to see if he may be a suitable match as a donor, and fortunately he was;

“Luckily this time my dad’s kidney didn’t deteriorate as quick as last time so he was able to have a few more years of normal life before he needed to be back on dialysis in 2022. After 18 months of further testing, making sure my dad’s health was in a good state and waiting for an available transplant date, we finally had our transplant.”

Steven received Oliver’s kidney on 5th August 2024 at University Hospital of Wales. Speaking on how being a match for his dad made him feel Oliver said;

“When I first found out I was a possible option for donating, I realised this was one of the biggest decisions I’d ever had to make. However, after reading some information booklets about the process and the risks, I was confident I wanted to go through with it. 

I was thrilled to find out that I had passed the thorough health check and that I was a near-perfect match for donating. It was then a long wait while we waited for my dad’s health to be in a good place and for various tests on his side. It didn’t feel real for quite a while, until all of a sudden we were told that a date just three weeks away had become available at University Hospital of Wales.

It did feel like quite a shock that suddenly it was really going to happen. I had a nervous few weeks leading up to the surgery but with the wonderful support of my friends, family and my partner, I felt ready and confident when transplant day arrived.”

Both Oliver and Steven are now six weeks into their recovery, and thankfully Steven’s new kidney function was excellent immediately post-transplant. Steven is recovering well and is very much looking forward to his future life without dialysis. Soon he hopes to travel once more to all the places he loves.

Oliver and Mary have been able to save Steven’s life not once, but twice and wanted to share their message about organ donation with those who may be considering to embark on their own donation journey;

“To anyone considering becoming a donor, I would say that the choice is always yours and you should feel under no pressure to donate if you’re unsure about it. There are always risks to donating and to any surgery, however these risks are always made clear to you from the very start and the staff are very happy to answer any questions you may have at any time.

If you do choose to go ahead with donating, it is a huge gift you are giving and one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. You will be supported the whole way through including throughout your recovery.”

2 minutes now could save up to 9 lives. Confirm your decision to be an organ donor. It’s the best thing you’ll do today. Visit organdonation.nhs.uk