News stories

Fitness teacher Madge Reynolds and her brother Paul both had major surgery shortly after the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) building opened.

In January 2011, Madge suffered kidney failure and needed a life-changing transplant and Paul agreed to selflessly agreed to give her one of his kidneys.

Both underwent surgery that meant Madge could go on to continue to lead a normal life.

Since then, Madge has remained under the care of QEHB, returning for renal outpatient appointments every three months.

When she was pregnant with her daughter Scarlett, protein showed up in a routine urine sample and tests revealed that she was suffering from IgA Nephropathy (Berger’s Disease).

Although this condition, which can cause kidney inflammation, tends to progress slowly, within five years, her kidney function had fallen to just five per cent and she was told she needed a transplant.

Doctors were amazed she had been able to continue functioning without dialysis to clean the blood. She was still taking group exercise classes right up to the time of her operation.

Looking back, Madge puts her lack of need for dialysis down to her fitness which she believes was also an important factor in her recovery.

Unusually, her three sisters and Paul all turned out to be compatible donors, but they went ahead with Paul donating a kidney to Madge.

Today, Madge, who still teaches exercise classes, is telling her story as part of our QEHB 15th birthday celebrations, said: “I feel great! I now feel I’ve even more energy than I used to have. The drawbacks I can live with. I was diabetic for a year but am no longer diabetic.

“I have tablets to take and have to be careful about where I go on holiday because of the heat but having the transplant changed my life and because of the job I do and the way I keep fit and look after myself I have been able to lead a full life.”

“I have got nothing but praise for the staff at QE- the whole of the renal team. They’ve all been brilliant over the years.”