Una Brown donated her kidney to a stranger through the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme. This allowed her husband, Sean, to receive a compatible kidney from another donor. Una was initially not a 100% match for Sean, but the scheme enabled both of them to receive transplants.
The couple was part of a three-way transplant arrangement. However, on the day of surgery, Sean's intended donor became unwell. Fortunately, the donor originally matched with Una was also compatible with Sean, allowing the transplant to proceed.
The scheme has helped almost 200 people in Northern Ireland receive a living-donor transplant. Northern Ireland has become the biggest subscriber and contributor to the scheme, with Belfast being described as the "capital" of kidney sharing.
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