In a groundbreaking medical achievement, parents of identical twin sisters have each donated a kidney to their respective daughters on the same day. Diane and David Spensley, from Godalming, Surrey, took this extraordinary step after their daughters had been waiting for a suitable donor for three long years.
For 29-year-old twins Anna Spensley and Allison Mann, who have been on a transplant list since being diagnosed with renal failure in 2003, this double transplant at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, is a life-changing event. Moreover, this is the first known instance where parents of twins have both been eligible and willing to donate their kidneys and have successfully undergone the necessary operations in one day.
After undergoing a series of surprise tests, Mr. and Mrs. Spensley spent six months preparing for the surgery, fully committed to the cause. A businessman, Mr. Spensley, 53, recently shared, “I feel a bit sore but otherwise we are all fine. It has all been worth it. We had always known that if there was anything we could do to help, we would. When we passed the tests, there was no doubt that we would donate. People can live with just one functioning kidney, so giving one away was not an issue.”
The procedure began with Mrs. Spensley, 52, who underwent a four-hour operation performed by Czech surgeon Jiri Fronek. Utilizing revolutionary keyhole surgery techniques, her kidney was removed and successfully transplanted into Allison. A few hours later, Mr. Spensley underwent the same procedure, with his kidney being transplanted into Anna.
Aside from routine hospital visits for check-ups, this operation signifies a return to normalcy for the sisters, whose lives were previously dictated by restrictive diets and a rigorous dialysis regime.
SOURCE:dailymail
