A Milford woman who had spent years hiding the effects of kidney disease has received a life-changing transplant from her sister after the donor was confirmed as a rare six-out-of-six match.
Sinead McGleenon and Orla Fox, both teachers, have shared the story of their journey during Organ Donation Week. Their experience began with Sinead’s long-running kidney problems and ended with Orla donating one of her kidneys to save her sister’s life.
Sinead’s illness stemmed from recurrent urinary tract infections. Although she experienced constant lethargy, a lack of appetite and nausea, she continued working and travelling, including teaching in Australia and America.
That changed in July 2021, when Sinead’s Armagh-based GP sent tests to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. At an appointment attended by both sisters, Sinead was told she had kidney disease and would almost certainly need a transplant. Doctors estimated that she had between three and five years before a transplant would become crucial.
The news came as a shock. Sinead said she had continued to feel healthy and repeatedly told medical staff that she felt great, while trying to maintain a normal life at home and at school. As her condition progressed, however, she struggled to walk and sleep and developed itching, restless legs, cramps and heartburn. Lying down became difficult because she felt as though she was choking and that her body weighed a tonne.
She tried to keep the severity of her illness from those around her, partly because she found it difficult to see the impact on other people. Her sister, however, knew how seriously ill she was becoming.
Family members stepped forward
The family initially kept the search for a donor within their close circle. Orla volunteered, as did her husband Joe, their two sons, the sisters’ two brothers and some of Sinead’s friends. Orla’s sons were too young to donate, while their mother prayed for both sisters.
Potential donors underwent initial testing at Belfast City Hospital, including blood, DNA and tissue tests. Results were scored out of six, with scores of three, four, five and six considered for further testing. The sisters were told that even a blood relationship did not guarantee compatibility.
Orla’s result was exceptional. Her donor nurse contacted her while she was at home bringing in washing and matching socks. The nurse told her: “Orla, you are a perfect match. You are six-out-of-six.”
Orla later told Sinead that she had been matching socks when she received the call, a detail that gave the sisters’ story its memorable title. Other potential donors had scored one-out-of-six or three-out-of-six, making Orla the obvious choice.
Further checks followed. Orla underwent scans to confirm that she had two kidneys, along with health monitoring, psychological testing and legal paperwork before the transplant could proceed.
A difficult operation and a new beginning
Orla freely donated her healthy kidney, while surgeons described Sinead’s procedure as complex. The sisters explained that a kidney is located far back in the body, meaning surgeons had to “dig” to remove Orla’s.
Sinead said she felt calm before the operation and believed she was protected by the prayers and support surrounding them. She was nevertheless distressed as Orla was taken to theatre, knowing the risks involved in the donor operation.
Orla recovered from surgery after becoming one kidney lighter. Sinead’s operation was successful but not straightforward, and she required emergency surgery the following morning before she could see her sister. Afterwards, she described herself as feeling as though she had been “hit by a bus”.
Sinead’s transplanted kidney now sits at the front of her stomach rather than towards her back. She named it Kate the Kidney after a nurse suggested giving it a name, and said being able to feel it brings her comfort.
A year and a half after the transplant, the sisters said Sinead’s recovery was going better than expected. Sinead described the transplant as the best thing that had happened to her, saying it had changed her physically and made her more grateful for the goodness in people.
Orla said she never regretted donating and considered it a small price to pay to help her sister. Sinead said she could never repay Orla for putting her life at risk, while Orla said she did not miss the kidney because it was “walking around beside” her.
Sinead thanked her family, friends and the teams at Daisy Hill Hospital, Belfast City Hospital 11 South, Renal Outpatients and the renal, surgical, nephrology, pharmacy, podiatry and dietetic services involved in her care. She also praised the nurses, cleaners and other hospital staff who supported both sisters before and after the transplant.
Orla, a former Armagh Ladies Gaelic Football county player, also thanked the team for selecting Kidney Patients and Research as its charity. The sisters said the support of friends and relatives at home and overseas helped them through the transplant journey.