A MIDWIFE has donated one of her kidneys to her younger brother.

Jackie Bower’s brother, Paul Lyons, was born with only one kidney and when his health began to deteriorate, he faced the rest of his life on dialysis.

But Ms Bower, 48, who originates from Brightlingsea, couldn’t sit back and watch her brother suffer.

She said: “He was born with one kidney, and the kidney he had had problems.

“He got an infection when he was about seven and the kidney was damaged, but he had been fine.

“However, gradually over the past few years, he has gone downhill.”

With only 15 per cent of Mr Lyons’s kidney functioning, he was put on the transplant list and Ms Bowers, a midwife at the Fryatt Hospital, Dovercourt, decided to be tested to see if she was a suitable donor.

Thanks to their similar genes, medics confirmed Ms Bowers would be a good match and, a year after Mr Lyons, 44, was put on the transplant list, the operations took place in his home country of Ireland.

Ms Bower, a mum-of-two, said: “He would probably have eventually got a kidney, but in Ireland the waiting list is three to four years.

“Also, having a living donor reduces the chances of it being rejected as it is in a better condition.”

Ms Bower, of Capel St Mary, will be returning to work in 10 days after three-months rest since the operation.

She added: “To Paul it has made such a difference because he was looking at life with dialysis three times a week and having to travel to the hospital for it and be on a special diet.

“He had joint pain and teeth pain and lots of side-effects from his kidney not functioning, but within weeks of having my kidney, it had all gone.

“He now looks so much better than he did before.

“At the end of the day, he is my brother and I was either going to do nothing or get tested and go ahead with it.”

Ms Bower will be reunited with her brother and parents, Pat and Dave Lyons, tomorrow at their home in Richard Avenue, Brightlingsea.