Kidney donor doing well a few months after surgery

SHANE COWLISHAW/ The Southland Times

FULL RECOVERY: Arrowtown Golf Course manager John Stephens has completely recovered after donating a kidney to his sister.

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An Arrowtown man who donated his kidney in September is encouraging other people to do the same after making a full recovery in only a few months.

John Stephens, who manages the Arrowtown Golf Course, travelled to Australia in September to give the lifesaving gift of a healthy kidney to his sister Janette Liggins.

Ms Liggins suffers from Sjogrens syndrome, an auto-immune disease where antibodies attack the glands that produce tears and saliva.

Mr Stephens said both himself and his sister were doing great and after "a pretty sore" two weeks he had quickly improved and soon felt the same as before the operation.

Watching his sister get sick had been horrible and made him appreciate his health, and he encouraged people to consider donating a kidney even if it was not for a family member, he said.

"It just really makes you appreciate your health, seeing her sick was horrible. I think more people should do it, 99.9 per cent of us are born with two kidneys and you don't need two," Mr Stephens said.

"I think there could be more people that could donate not just to family members but also strangers, there's a lot of people that are on waiting lists for years and years and years and don't get a kidney."

Mr Stephens has to work during the Christmas and new year period, but his sister had been in regular touch keeping him updated on her health, he said.

"She was the first one to ring me on Christmas ... she's very thankful, she keeps saying my kidney is working very well, she still says it's my kidney," he said.

"She's really looking after it. She hasn't missed her tablets, she's on the right diet and she's just looking after herself perfect.

"If I've gone through that for her to give it to her she's going to look after it."

His mother was extremely happy both her children had come through the surgery and Mr Stephens was planning a visit to Australia in the winter, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News