Miracle birth for kidney transplant patient
10/07/2007
New mum Trudi Setchell is celebrating after giving birth to her first child – just four years after receiving her mother’s kidney in a life-saving operation.
Trudi, 30, of Barnwood, is believed to be one of the first kidney transplant patients to have subsequently given birth in Gloucestershire and after years of uncertainty is now looking forward to her new life as a mother.
During National Transplant Week (July 7-14), Trudi believes her story may give hope to other patients currently facing an uncertain future on the often long waiting list for an organ.
Trudi was first diagnosed with a condition called Reflux Nephropathy* when she was just ten years old and by the age of 16 was told her kidneys would eventually fail and she would need a transplant.
By January 2003 the doctors’ fears had been realised and Trudi began the search for a donor while receiving haemodialysis at the Cotswold Dialysis Unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to keep her kidneys functioning.
“I tried every form of dialysis going,” said Trudi. “It was not a pleasant experience and it did completely disrupt my life. My fiancé Andy and I wanted to marry and start a family but we knew that the chances of being able to do this were small.”
After undergoing blood and tissue tests, Trudi’s mother Carole Stacey was eventually identified as a match and decided to donate one of her kidneys to help save her daughter’s life.
Trudi said: “I was overjoyed but had so many mixed emotions. On the one hand it was wonderful that mine and Andy’s dreams might come to fruition and we could finally start planning our lives together. I had an amazing feeling of gratitude and love towards my mum, but also guilt. There was nothing wrong with her - should she really have to go through an operation just to help me? What if it went wrong?”
Mum Carole, 49, of Cheltenham, who has two other daughters and a son, had no such doubts about the operation and was determined to do whatever it took to give her daughter back her life.
She said: “Nothing can prepare you for your child’s imminent death. I had known since Trudi was 10 that she would eventually need a transplant so I had a long time to think about what would happen if I was a match and as soon as they told me I was I couldn’t wait for the operation.
“My heart ached for my other children who I knew were devastated to see their sister and mother undergoing operations, but as a mother your daughter never stops being your little girl, no matter how old she is, and you will do anything to give them happiness and a trouble-free life.”
Thankfully, the live donor transplant operation, which took place at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital, was a complete success and after 18 months, Trudi and Andy were able to start trying for the family they had always dreamed of.
The couple’s dreams finally came true at 9.44pm on Tuesday, July 3, at the Orchard Centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital when Harry James Setchell was born four weeks early weighing a healthy six pounds, four ounces.
“The doctors had prepared us for the worst and had told us there were many risks involved in getting pregnant after a kidney transplant,” said Trudi.
“As well as being harder to conceive at all, there was a higher risk of miscarriage, a risk of the baby being too small, a risk it could be born prematurely and that he or she could also have a renal condition.”
But Trudi, who had been in the care of Dr Tony Williams, Consultant Nephrologist, since the age of 16, says she knew she was in safe hands.
“Dr Williams and his team have been absolutely fantastic and I knew they would be there to help me every step of the way,” said Trudi. “Having a family was really important to Andy and I and we are so grateful to all the midwives, doctors and nurses that have helped us get here.”
Dr Williams said: “It is unusual for a woman who has undergone a kidney transplant to go on to have a baby and we are absolutely delighted for Trudi and her family. We believe that she may be one of the first renal transplant patients to have given birth in Gloucestershire.”
Mr Dhushy Mahendran, Consultant Obstetrician, added: "There are increased risks associated in pregnancies like Trudi's. However with the appropriate obstetric and medical care, success is still possible. It is important for patients in this situation to speak to their renal physician and obstetrician if thinking about pregnancy to discuss all the issues before trying to conceive."
Proud grandmother Carole has also recovered well from her operation and says she has experienced no ill effects.
“I consider it a privilege to have been able to give my daughter life twice,” she said.
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