South Yorkshire woman in need of new kidney turns to Facebook for gift of life

A South Yorkshire woman in desperate need of a new kidney has turned to Facebook for the gift of life.
Victoria FirthVictoria Firth
Victoria Firth

A South Yorkshire woman in desperate need of a new kidney has turned to Facebook for the gift of life.

Victoria Firth has created a poster for Facebook, which she hopes will help encourage people to become organ donorsVictoria Firth has created a poster for Facebook, which she hopes will help encourage people to become organ donors
Victoria Firth has created a poster for Facebook, which she hopes will help encourage people to become organ donors
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Victoria Firth, aged 38, undergoes dialysis four days a week and is in desperate need of a new kidney.

Despite spending 15 years on the transplant list waiting for an organ to become available, a perfect match has never been found and Victoria is now hoping that the reach of social media giant Facebook will help her appeal for a donor go viral.

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Victoria, from Redbrook, Barnsley, suffered total renal failure in 2004 and now relies on gruelling dialysis sessions to keep her alive.

With each session taking around five hours to complete, Victoria is now desperate to lead a normal life.

She has created a poster, which she has shared on Facebook, which pleads for help.

The more people who come forward to register as a possible donor, the more chance Victoria has of a perfect match being found.

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“I thought it was worth a try to get the word out there about how I really need a donor. You never know, with the reach of social media it just might get to that one person who could be a perfect match,” she said.

Victoria, who is constantly fatigued due to her condition, said: “I try not to let my condition rule my life, but it does.

“I have dialysis four times a week and from start to finish the process takes five or six hours so it does take it out of you.

“A new kidney would be life changing. I’ve been on the list for years but have never ever had that call to say there is an organ, where as some people have had 30 calls. I will only get that call if it is a perfect match.

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“I’ve never appealed for help before and the poster feels a bit like begging but if it reaches the right person it really could be the difference between life or death.

“The more people who come forward as potential donors the more lives could be saved.”

According to NHS Blood and Transplant, more than 1,000 people in the UK each year donate a kidney or part of their liver while they are still alive.

A healthy person can lead a normal life with only one functioning kidney and part of a liver can also be transplanted from a living donor to help someone in need of a transplant.

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In the UK, around 5,000 people are current;y in need of a kidney transplant, with hundreds of patients dying each year while they wait for the gift of life.

Click HERE to find out how to become a living organ donor.