A North East family has reflected on the moment their life was turned upside down after finding out their daughter had a life-threatening kidney disease.
Poppy Lancaster, from Hartlepool, who has an identical twin sister, Violet, wasn’t diagnosed with kidney disease until she was 18 months old.
The news came as a huge shock to her parents Gavin and Becky, who had been unaware their daughter was unwell.
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They were left devastated when their daughter Poppy’s first kidney transplant failed, but a second attempt in May has left the five-year-old with a new lease of life.
“The GP had sent Poppy for allergy tests. They happened to put a kidney function test in with her bloods and once the results came in, a panicked-sounding doctor at North Tees Hospital in Stockton called, saying we needed to bring Poppy in immediately,” recalls her dad Gavin.
"We were told she had kidney problems, and, in a moment, our whole world turned upside down. Unbeknownst to us, she’d been born with kidneys that hadn’t formed properly and were only a quarter of the size they should be. The doctors were amazed she’d survived.”
Poppy initially received peritoneal dialysis for ten hours a night, six nights a week.
The gravity of the situation started to sink in with Gavin and Becky as they came to terms with the fact that she would eventually need a kidney transplant.
While her first transplant wasn’t working well, Poppy was allowed home on March 31, 2021 and, with nine per cent kidney function, she enjoyed a period of 14 months off dialysis.
She then had to resume dialysis treatment in May 2022, but there was good news exactly 12 months later.
“On May 3 this year, the fourth anniversary of her diagnosis, we got the call saying they’d found a match,” added Gavin.
“That day, Poppy walked into the hospital herself, wearing her Kidney Research UK t-shirt and pulling her little purple suitcase. She had the transplant on the 4th and came home on the 16th. The consultant said it was the fastest she’d ever sent a patient home.”
The Hartlepool family are now reflecting on the gift of life that has made an enormous difference in their lives this Organ Donation Week.
Since the operation, Poppy has decided to name her new kidney ‘George’ a decision that has baffled her parents.
“I’ve no idea why,” laughs Gavin, who in addition to the twins has two other children – daughter Gabrielle, 17, and son Higham, 11.
“When I asked her, she just said, ‘Because it’s his name, Dad!’ She’s so funny.”
Poppy has recovered well and despite previously developing at a slower rate than her twin sister, she’s catching up fast.
“There’s only a 10cm difference in height between her and Violet now and a 5kg difference in weight,” says Gavin.
"Poppy’s eating so well now, whereas she never properly ate before. It’s just beautiful to see. She’s also got ten times more energy than she used to – she never stops.
"We’re all absolutely knackered, but we wouldn't have it any other way. She had seven per cent kidney function on the day of her transplant, now she’s got 97 per cent so ‘George’ has kick-started her properly existing.”
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Throughout Poppy’s transplant journey, Gavin has been a passionate supporter of the charity Kidney Research UK.
“We have our own Go Fund me page for #teampoppy and every week, whatever’s been donated gets sent to the charity,” he says.
“For years, I’ve found Kidney Research UK to be such a support, so of course I want to give back. Even my mobile disco and my car have the charity’s logo on them.
“Thanks to Poppy’s organ donor, she already has a completely different and better life – and because of that, so do the rest of the family.
“I can’t say how amazing organ donation is – it is just the gift of life and, for most, liberty. So to all organ donors, thank you.”
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