17 September 2009
Thousands of women turned out to take part in the Adidas 5K run in London on Sunday (6 September), and among them were two best friends with a mission - to raise money for the South West Thames Renal and Transplant Unit, which is based at St Helier Hospital.
But what makes the effort of Jan Munns and Liz Heyburn all the more incredible is that just three months ago, Liz donated a kidney to Jan.
Jan has suffered from polycystic kidney disease for a number of years, which means that cysts grew on her kidneys and prevented them from working properly. Last year, as her condition worsened, she was told that she would need a kidney transplant.
Jan said: "I was going to my first appointment at St Helier and I instinctively knew it was going to be bad news, so I asked Liz to come along for moral support. They told me that I would need a kidney transplant within 12 months."
And that's when Liz stepped forward to see if she could be a match for Jan and donate one of her kidneys to her close friend. Jan said: "I was gobsmacked that she wanted to do it, but terrified at the same time."
Following a series of tests, it was confirmed Liz was a match for Jan and the two went in for their operation at the end of June. The operation was a success and shortly after the procedure, both women were back on their feet and raring to go.
Jan said: "The transformation in the way that I feel is absolutely amazing. I could tell as soon as I came round from the anaesthetic that I felt better. It was as if, all of a sudden, my head was clear. I hadn't even realised that it wasn't clear before! There's no looking back for me now - I feel brilliant."
The pair took part in the Adidas Women's 5K race to give something back to the service. Liz said: "We talked about doing the race and both decided that it was something we'd really like to do. So that was it - we set ourselves a fundraising target of £500 and off we went!
"It was a brilliant day. Everyone taking part has got their own story and their own reason for being there, so it was pretty emotional. I'm so glad we did it."
The pair have already raised £730, with more sponsorship expected to come in.
Liz added: "I see giving Jan a kidney as an amazing opportunity. It has made such a difference to her and I'm just pleased that I could help. And it wasn't as hard as I expected - I was back at work within four weeks and now I don't feel any different at all."
Dr James Marsh is the Trust's Clinical Director for Renal Services. He said: "I am so pleased with the progress that both Jan and Liz have made and we are delighted that they decided to run to raise much-needed funds for the research unit at St Helier Hospital.
"Liz and Jan's story is really amazing. However, not everyone is as lucky. Therefore, it is important that people consider donating their organs and join the NHS Organ Register - it's very easy and can help change people's lives forever."
If you're not signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, you can:
Visit: www.uktransplant.org.uk
Call: the NHS Organ Donor Line: 0300 123 23 23
Text: SAVE to 84118.
