THURS, JUNE 22, 2017
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DEEPCAR MAN THANKS FAMILY FOR NEW LIFE
A DEEPCAR man is using his own story to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. Paul Cocker, 46, now has four kidneys after receiving one from brother Vincent, 50, and one from sister Karen, 45. At the age of 10, it first became apparent that Paul suffered from kidney problems after his ankles swelled up on holiday after fluid gathered there. It was another 14 years before he experienced problems again but this time the effects were far more serious and within hours he was on a dialysis machine – a process that has since become familiar to the publisher. He was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and had to attend the Northern General Hospital three times a week. After a seven-year wait for a kidney, Karen was found to be a match for a transplant and the brother and sister underwent the procedure in 2011. This allowed Paul 14 years of normal life until his body rejected Karen’s kidney and it began to fail. Wife Samantha agreed to give Paul one of her kidneys but it was then discovered that Vincent was a better match, even though the less advanced medical techniques of the past had stopped him from donating before.
Vincent, Paul and Karen Cocker share a special bond
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“Excellent”
The brothers have made a full recovery from the swap and Paul, who runs a cookbook business called Meze Publishing, is now back to living a full life. He told Look Local: “I feel so much better now, I can’t even describe it. My job involves a lot of food obviously and I couldn’t eat a lot of it because I was ill. It was awful. It felt like an insult to the people I was working with at times when they’d prepare all this delicious food and I couldn’t eat any of it! “I was leaving for work at 7am and because of work and dialysis, I wouldn’t get home till 9pm. I could only drink 500ml of water on dialysis days too, which is nothing when it’s hot. Sam was gutted when she couldn’t give me one of her kidneys but Vincent’s was a better match so we had to go with that. “I can’t thank any of them enough. I’m very lucky. Whilst recovering I had to avoid shellfish, raw egg or unpasteurised cheese but now the only thing I can’t eat is grapefruit because it interferes with the anti-rejection drugs I take. “I’d encourage anyone to get a Donor Card. It’s not just kidneys but so many other organs that could save lives.” Paddy Tabor MVO, Chief Executive of Kidney Care UK comments: “Right now in South Yorkshire there are 120 people
24 currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and every single day in the UK one person will die whilst waiting for their kidney. This has to change. “Most people don’t want to think about their kidneys, but the reality is that one in eight people will develop Chronic Kidney Disease which can affect their general health and may ultimately mean they might need dialysis or a transplant in order to stay alive. “The average time waiting for a kidney on the transplant list is three years and there are almost 30,000 people on dialysis in the UK, a treatment that leaves patients hooked up to machines for hours at a time for several days every week, which has a knock-on impact on their ability to study, work, socialise and ultimately live their lives to the full. “Kidney patients constantly tell us that greater awareness of kidney disease and the impact it can have on their lives would be life-changing for them, which is why we’re calling on your readers to become kidney aware by visiting www.kidneycareuk. org.” For more information about becoming a living donor, visitwww.organdonation.nhs.uk/ about-donation/living-donation.