Mum’s kidney transplant gift spurs on London Marathon runner
A kidney transplant recipient from Edinburgh will run the TCS London Marathon this April, powered by the kidney donated by his mum 12 years ago.
Jonny McGregor, 43, received a kidney from his mum, Eileen, in 2014 after a shocking diagnosis that left him needing life-restricting dialysis. Now, he will complete the 26.2 mile route across London to give others hope and raise money that will support research into kidney disease.
Jonny, who works in Asset Management, says: “It was emotional to see how determined Mum was to donate a kidney when I received my diagnosis in 2013. It is absolutely amazing, what she has done for me. The transplant changed my life. I was able to get married to my wife, Kathryn, the following year and then have our two children.
“It was all made possible by Mum. She has always been there for me. She is doing great and you’d have no idea she is living with one kidney. I want to share my story to give others hope. Having kidney disease is awful, but life can get better. It’s amazing to think you can still run marathons after a kidney transplant.”
Surprising diagnosis
When Jonny turned 30 in 2013, the idea that he would need dialysis treatment just a few months later was unfathomable.
Jonny says: “Life was great. I kept myself really fit, played golf and football, loved to travel and enjoyed socialising with friends. I had no idea anything was wrong. That’s the thing with kidney disease, it can affect anyone.
“I only went to the GP because I began having headaches. I thought maybe they were migraines and I was advised to take paracetamol. When my health didn’t improve, I pushed for answers and a quick test showed my blood pressure was through the roof. A blood test then found I had less than 15% kidney function.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got that call. I’d just arrived home from playing football and was being told I needed to go to hospital with an overnight bag. I didn’t feel unwell and thought it must be some misunderstanding because of a freak blood test result. However, further tests and a biopsy confirmed the worst. I was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy. It was surreal.
“In hindsight, there were subtle signs I was unwell shortly before my diagnosis. However, it was all easily explained away. People often said I looked pale in photographs, but I thought I just lacked a suntan. When I did come back from Thailand after one trip, my ankles became really swollen but I thought that was the result of sitting on a long flight. I never imagined they were signs of kidney disease.”
The impact of dialysis
Jonny’s kidney function was monitored, and it was determined he needed to begin dialysis just a few months later at the beginning of 2014.
Jonny says: “Having a tube inserted into my abdomen for dialysis freaked me out. Suddenly I felt like a patient. Our spare room was covered in boxes of dialysis equipment, and I had to connect myself to a machine for ten hours every night to keep me alive.
“I felt exhausted. I had to stop playing football and needed to leave social occasions early to give me enough time to dialyse before work the next day. Dietary restrictions made it difficult to go to restaurants and greatly affected what I could eat. I love crisps, they are my Achilles heel, but I had to drastically reduce my salt intake.
“Thankfully, I was still able to work and managed to do some exercise in the gym. The support I had from the renal team was amazing, providing me with tasty low salt recipes and helping my family take a holiday to Portugal by moving my dialysis equipment overseas. That was unbelievable and made a huge difference for us.”
How Mum changed my life
When it became clear Jonny would need a kidney transplant, his mum, Eileen, did not hesitate to put herself forward as his donor.
Jonny says: “No matter what I said, Mum was going to give me a kidney. There was no question about it. Now I’m a parent myself, I understand the lengths you’d go to for your children. Naturally I was worried about Mum, but the transplant team spent lots of time with us to put our minds at ease.
“The testing process took ten months, but knowing Mum was going to donate a kidney made my time on dialysis more bearable. Some patients are on dialysis for years before a kidney becomes available, so I was grateful that Mum made the wait for a transplant a lot shorter than it could have been.
“On the day of the transplant, it was a big relief to find out Mum’s surgery had been successful before I went down to receive the kidney. We were treated on different wards, but I was taken in a wheelchair to see her the following day.
“I felt great. My face was full of colour, and I could start eating normally without any dietary restrictions. The biggest challenge was having to significantly increase the amount of water I was drinking after being fluid restricted on dialysis. We were both discharged within a weekand the transplant has been really successful. Mum recovered well and being a kidney donor hasn’t slowed her down at all.
“The transplant meant life could return to some normality as I no longer needed dialysis. I could eat more foods, travel without my dialysis machine and get back into my sports. Most people are surprised now when they hear I’ve had a transplant. I make a conscious effort to stay as fit and healthy as possible, determined to make the most of what I can control.
“A transplant is not a cure , and I will always need to manage my illness. I have regular hospital appointments and take immunosuppressants every day to protect my kidney from rejection. Transplanted kidneys don’t last forever, and in the back of my mind I know one day I will need another donor.”
Running the London Marathon
On Sunday 26 April, Jonny will join more than 50 runners fundraising for Kidney Research UK at the TSC London Marathon.
Jonny says: “It’s an amazing opportunity to push myself while raising money for a cause close to my heart. I ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon for Kidney Research UK a decade ago, so thought it was time to take on a new challenge.
“Training has been going well but it is exhausting. I’m expecting the crowds to be amazing on the day, so hopefully everyone cheering us on will get me through it. Even if I have to hobble over the finish line, I will get there!
“Kathryn and our two children - Emily and Harry - will be there supporting me on the day. My Mum and Dad would have loved to have joined them, but won’t be able to unfortunately. I’ll make sure to facetime Mum once I cross the finish line!
“There are so many different kidney diseases and areas to research, so I hope the money raised by everyone at the London Marathon will make a big difference.”