As a young woman living with end stage kidney failure, Elle’s life was hanging in the balance.
Her family history meant that she had already tragically lost her older sister and Dad to complications of renal disease. While our doctors and nurses were working hard to keep Elle alive with dialysis four times a week, a kidney transplant was what she desperately needed.
Which is why Elle and her Mum were so pleased to be heading to The Royal Melbourne Hospital when they received the life changing call that a kidney matching her needs had been donated.
Over the last 12 months we have seen a significant increase in organ donations at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. As Elle’s surgeon and Head of the Hospital’s Renal Transplant Surgical team, Dr Amanda Robertson, said: “The hard work of my colleagues at The Royal Melbourne, who are having conversations with donor families, mean that my team and I are performing more lifesaving kidney transplants than ever before”.
Just two months on from her kidney transplant Elle says her life is unrecognisable.
“I’m now completing my postgraduate research in Indigenous Arts and Culture at the Wilin Centre, University of Melbourne, and can truly engage. I can travel for conferences, take up speaking opportunities and also travel to see Mum more often.”
“I can’t thank my organ donor, their family, and the entire team at The Royal Melbourne enough. My life is forever changed and for that I’m incredibly grateful.”
At The Royal Melbourne Hospital our surgeons, doctors and nurses change lives every
day. Buying a ticket in this Home Lottery means you are helping our team to help even more people like Elle. Thank you for your generosity.