BY MARK MCKELVEY

It is often said that a mother's love is instinctual, unconditional and forever.

Epitomising that sentiment is Rosena Garrity from Trillick who having watched in anguish as her 21-year-old son Adrian endured lengthy haemodialysis treatment for the past five years, didn't have to think twice about donating him one of her kidney's. Giving her son the gift of life.

Adrian was born with only one kidney and as his renal function had deteriorated drastically, Adrian was forced to start having dialysis at the age of 15 in order to keep him alive.

These frequent dialysis sessions at the renal unit in the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh increased over the years until he was having three, four hour sessions per week. Adrian was eventually put on the transplant waiting list at the start of 2007.

As 45 people have died in the North whilst waiting on a kidney transplant since 2003, and with 293 people currently awaiting transplants, Rosena got tested to see if she was a possible match to donate a kidney to Adrian and change his life forever.

"It took a year for me to be tested, but during that time we were waiting in case a donor became available," said Rosena. "I didn't have to contemplate making this decision. As soon as the tests said I was a match it was a case of when can we do it. We were waiting and waiting hoping that we would be able to get the transplant operation done before Christmas but we were given a date of February 27 this year and then everything became geared towards that.

"It was a tough time emotionally for all the family, but the rewards have been unbelievable. It is amazing to see him now that he is off the dialysis and had his medication cut drastically. Health-wise he is doing so well. The benefits have been amazing."

Although this decision came easy for Rosena, Adrian took a little more persuading to assure his mum would remain as healthy as she was before and that there would be no side affects.

"We saw a counsellor to ensure that we were making the right decision. I was worried about mum doing this but I was told by everyone I asked that they wouldn't let her do it unless it was 100% safe," said Adrian.

Since starting dialysis to compensate for his kidney failure, life had been very difficult for Adrian and his family always wary that eating something as innocuous as a banana had the potential to cause him to have a heart attack.

Adrian explained what the last number of years has been like for him.

"I didn't know what was happening. It was only when I actually started the dialysis that it struck me. It became my life and was something I had to accept.

"I wasn't allowed any foods with potassium such as banana's then also dairy products, crisps and mineral drinks," said Adrian who continued by joking it was basically all the foods he liked, and unfortunately his condition didn't stop him eating cucumbers or broccoli which wouldn't have been as much of a sacrifice.

Although not painful, dialysis left Adrian feeling tired, but it was the length of time that it involved being in hospital that mostly affected him saying, how incredibly boring it was at times, using music to help him through the tedious hours connected to a machine.

Now that the transplant has been a success and he no longer needs dialysis Adrian said his quality of life has dramatically improved.

"It is unbelievable. It has completely changed my life. I can now wake up in the morning and do what I want. Instead of planning my time around dialysis I am able to go off somewhere out of town and not worry about having to rush back.

"I feel a lot stronger and have more energy. A feeling I haven't had for six years or so. On Dialysis I was restricted to a litre of fluid a day, but now I go out and drink as much as I want. I have been given a new lease of life. This is my new beginning and I am certainly going to make the most of it."

Although he is now allowed to eat and drink what I wants, it was a slow transition to make getting used to being allowed to do things that he had been warned for so long could kill him.

"At the start I was scared to eat banana's again as I had always been warned of the dangers of my potassium levels rising too high. While I was in hospital all my family brought bunches of them up to me but I had to send them home," joked Adrian

Rosena continued by outlining what a difference the transplant has made to their lives.

"Adrian's dialysis had become a major part of our life. It has only been since the transplant that we realise just how much time it took up and how tired and sick he actually was. As Adrian gradually got better and his immune system got stronger in those first six weeks after the operation we really started to see the benefits."

Expressing how much a transplant can change lives, Rosena took this opportunity to urge everyone to carry a donor card and also give the "gift of life".

She said, "I know it is an individual choice, but I would encourage everyone to carry a donor card. If they only knew how much it helps people and changes their lives. If they just knew the gift they were giving to people on transplant waiting lists by carrying a donor card."

Adrian continued by asking the public to take a step in the shoes of a dialysis patient for a day and then consider carrying a donor card.

"If someone from the public visited the renal unit at the County Hospital just for a minute and got an understanding of what someone on dialysis goes through it would definitely open their eyes."

For the past years being hindered by hospital appointments, even holidays had to be organised with dialysis in mind as a week without this treatment could have killed Adrian. Now with this burden removed Adrian is looking to the future, but remains somewhat apprehensive so soon after the transplant to be suddenly dashing off on exotic holidays, but he proclaimed it will definitely be on the agenda for next year.

"A holiday wasn't really a holiday for me as I was in a foreign hospital getting dialysis most of the time. It was very nervous as I didn't know what to expect but the hospitals were good. I just want to get used to the improvements in my health and spend the next year working at home on the farm and doing the things I wasn't allowed to do before, then think about a holiday next year."