The ultimate wedding gift: my husband gave me a kidney to save my life
FOR most brides, walking down the aisle is a very special moment.
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But for Claire Shields it felt almost unreal - as the wedding day only took place because groom Jamie had given her a kidney and saved her life. Eighteen months previously, Jamie had risked everything to donate a kidney after Claire was struck down by a sepsis infection. The transplant turned out to be the greatest wedding gift she could imagine.
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I was overwhelmed when Jamie offered to give me one of his kidneys. He was determined that he wanted to be the one who saved me
Claire, 27, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, said: "When I walked down the aisle and saw Jamie smile at me, I knew this day had only been possible because of him.
"I was only able to walk down the aisle to be his bride because of his amazing gift to me." Claire had been left fighting for her life just eight weeks after the couple had met in March 2015.
She said: "I'd been poorly for about three weeks beforehand, but I'd thought it was just a chest infection. I had no idea that it had developed into sepsis.
"I was so poorly that I didn't even recognise anyone, including Jamie. The nurses had asked him to go to my bedside to see if he could prompt me to recognise him. But I had no idea who he was."
Claire's organs were failing and doctors gave her a 50 per cent chance of pulling through. She said: "Even though we had only been together for two months, Jamie stuck by me."
I was overwhelmed when Jamie offered to give me one of his kidneys. He was determined that he wanted to be the one who saved me
For three weeks, she battled for survival, and then eventually started to turn a corner. But the damage had been done to her kidneys and she had to go on to dialysis.
Claire said: "I needed a kidney transplant. And I didn't have to look very far.
"There was one person who was willing to help me.
"I was overwhelmed when Jamie offered to give me one of his kidneys. He was determined that he wanted to be the one who saved me."
The transplant took place in October 2016 and was a success.
Claire said: "When I woke up from the operation, the doctors told me that it had gone well. It was an amazing feeling."
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Claire, a science student, and Jamie, 38, an IT engineer, wed 18 months later.
She added: "Not many brides can say that their fiance had given them a kidney in order to survive - and that they had walked down the aisle because of it. It felt amazing to marry Jamie - and our wedding day had only been made possible because of what he gave to me.
"We had a fantastic day. I wore a beautiful white dress.
"When I had lain in my hospital bed fighting for my life, all this had seemed like an impossible dream.
"Having his kidney has completely given me my life back."
