Brothers recover after kidney op (From Swindon Advertiser)

Brothers recover after kidney op

9:40am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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TWO Swindon brothers who underwent kidney donor surgery are recovering after their major operation.

Selfless Gavin Lawless gave his older brother the gift of life after Christian was told he faced life-long dialysis without it.

The pair went under the knife on Thursday, March 11, with Gavin, 32, coming out of Churchill Hospital in Oxford on Saturday, March 13, and Christian, 36, last Tuesday.

Gavin is now at home in Copse Avenue, Greenmeadow, recovering while his brother, from Larchmore Close, Greenmeadow, is at home with wife Anne and children Phoebe, six, and Ryan, 23 months.

Mother Mary Lawless, 55, said: “When I saw them both in hospital, having been through so much I couldn’t believe they were smiling. I am so proud of them both and if it is at all possible I love them even more.”

Christian will still have to travel to Churchill Hospital every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until doctors are satisfied that his body has accepted his brother’s kidney but it is a far cry from hours of gruelling dialysis three days a week.

The father-of-two has been on dialysis since doctors found his kidneys were failing in March 2008. But that was not the only life altering diagnosis.

Specialists told him that not only were his kidneys dying but he was in need of major heart surgery too, because a valve was malformed and forcing the organ to work overtime.

Christian’s only hope of a normal life was transplant surgery.

Scores of friends came forward to offer to be his donor but after both his mother and brother were tested, Gavin was named as the best match.

Mary is thrilled to have both sons come through the operation without any complications.

“Friends and family all over the world have been praying and I had absolute faith they would both be fine but as a mother it was a nerve-wracking experience,”she said.

“At one point we though I would be the donor so I slimmed down ready for the op. When they had both come out of surgery I was so relieved I ate a huge bar of chocolate.

“I can’t explain how wonderful it was to see them sitting together smiling.”