A HUSBAND and wife from Co Tipperary have become the first couple in the Republic to be involved in a spouse-to-spouse kidney transplant.
Edward Crowe, from Carrick-on-Suir, was given the kidney of his wife Deirdre, in an operation yesterday at Beaumont Hospital. The couple have three boys.
Mr Crowe was one of the most successful Irish athletes at the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in Hungary in 2006. He competed in the 50-59 veterans' section, winning gold in badminton, silver and bronze in track-and-field and bronze in 10-pin bowling.
He became involved with the transplant games after being diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, a progressive, genetic disorder of the kidneys that is one of the most common forms of kidney failure, affecting about 4,000 people in Ireland.
The disease can be managed in less severe cases, but there is no cure and the worst affected need dialysis and transplantation. Mr Crowe received his kidney through the living kidney donor programme, which was introduced two years ago.
Five procedures were carried out last year in the Republic, between Beaumont Hospital and Temple Street, with a target of 10 set for this year.
To date, all the living donors have been blood relatives of the people receiving a kidney transplant. The chances of success are greater if the donor is a blood relative, but the chances of success for somebody who is a non-blood relative are strong if a suitable match is found.
Irish Kidney Association chief executive Mark Murphy said it was a "landmark day" for the couple and for the living kidney donor programme.
"It's fantastic news for the couple. They empowered themselves to learn all about this before they approached Beaumont," he said.
Mr Murphy said the operation, if successful, will open the way for more transplants to be carried out involving organ donors who are not relatives of the recipient. "There are so many people who will avail of this programme when it racks up," he added.
Sinead O'Donnell, Deirdre's sister, said: "She was thinking about it for a long time and she said that if she could do something to help his life, she would do it."
