TRANSPLANT recipient Khyleah Magnus is embracing her second chance at life.
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The Port Macquarie mother had a kidney and pancreas transplant in early 2014 at Westmead Hospital.
She will never forget the phone call that delivered the news about the organ match.
“This is what I imagine winning the lotto is like,” she said.
“It was an amazing feeling.”
Type one diabetes caused kidney disease, which led to Khyleah’s renal failure about a year after her daughter Ruby was born.
The only renal failure symptom she experienced was dizziness.
Dialysis was part of Khyleah’s life for nearly four years.
During her time on dialysis she was blessed with a pregnancy and the birth of her son Jake.
The return trip to John Hunter Hospital to see maternity experts every fortnight was a feature of the pregnancy.
Khyleah had dialysis six days a week during the pregnancy to keep the baby healthy.
“We found out we were having a boy and we were so ecstatic,” she said.
Jake was born at John Hunter Hospital at 34 weeks before a transfer to Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
These days, Khyleah is looking to the future with her husband Colin Glover and children Isabella, Ruby and Jake.
“I have a second chance at life,” she said.
“It has made me more aware of the quality of life and looking after yourself.”
Khyleah is doing her bit to raise awareness about kidney disease and organ donation.
She cut the ribbon at September’s Kidney Health Australia charity walk in Port Macquarie which raised money for kidney research.
Khyleah encourages people to discuss their organ donation wishes with family members.
“Organ donation changes so many people’s lives,” Khyleah said.
Less than a third of Australian adults are on the national Donor Register.
Registering your decision is important as it leaves your family in no doubt of your decision.
In 2015, organ donation went ahead in 91 per cent of cases when the deceased was a registered donor.
This drops to just 52 per cent if the deceased was not registered and the family had no prior knowledge of their wishes.
The Australian Organ Donor Register is the only national register to record your donation decision.
Go to www.donorregister.gov.au for more information.
About 1500 people are on Australian organ transplant waiting lists at any one time.
Khyleah thanked Westmead Hospital, John Hunter Hospital and Port Macquarie Base Hospital.