A YOUNG mother whose baby was born weighing under two pounds hopes her life changing experience of living with kidney disease can raise awareness of the need for organ donors.

Stephanie Lambourne, 21, from Old Town, was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2009. There was no family history of the illness and its arrival came out of the blue.

Stephanie and James, her partner of over seven years, were keen to start a family but were aware that their window of opportunity was getting smaller each day.

“My doctors said it was now or never, they warned me that it would have an effect on my health but they didn’t expect it to be too significant” she said.

However the impact of her pregnancy was far more than Stephanie could have imagined - at the 26 week point her kidney function had reduced to ten per cent, she developed pre-eclampsia and was taken to GWH.

She said: “I was taken in and then pretty quickly I was blue-lighted to the John Radcliffe in Oxford.

“Then they told me I was going to have an emergency C-section to deliver my baby.”

Stephanie and James’ son Harvey was born at just 26 weeks and 3 days – he weighed only one pound ten ounces and was immediately ventilated and taken straight to intensive care.

“The doctors were worried, they weren’t hopeful, they gave us all the talks and told us not to expect too much.

“He had so much wrong with him – he needed several blood transfusions to keep him alive, he had to have injections in his eyes, he has had a stent fitted, he got lung disease and was operated on.”

Despite all the worst fears, Harvey has proven to be a real fighter.

Although he is still in hospital being watched very closely and only weighing two pounds five ounces, doctors are now confident that in time he will be able to go home.

Stephanie’s recovery has not been as successful, she is still living with only eight to ten per cent kidney function and struggles with constant fatigue.

She has had dialysis and believes it is likely she will have to have more soon.

“The doctors have said they don’t expect any improvement naturally, the only options now are dialysis or a transplant” added Stephanie.

“Now they have to try and find a donor.”

Her family are currently being tested but so far no matches have been found, next doctors will see if there is anyone else in the country whose own family don’t match but who might be able to perform a swap with Stephanie’s family.

The final option is to go on a national waiting list for a deceased donor.

Like many people, Stephanie had never given much thought to the importance of organ donation until she herself became ill, she is hoping her story can help raise that level of awareness.

She said: “I would really encourage everyone to consider it, you could save someone’s life.

“Not only that but you could save a whole family.”