Husband's gift of love to sick wife

ASK Parveedar Button what she thinks of her husband and her response is instant - “he is my hero”.

ASK Parveedar Button what she thinks of her husband and her response is instant - “he is my hero”.

The mother-of-two from Ipswich today told of her debt of gratitude to partner Laurence after he donated his kidney to his ill wife.

During Christmas in 2007, Parveedar was told she had less than two years to find a new kidney before dialysis treatment was required.

The 31-year-old's four brothers and sisters in Kenya, were she is originally from, were tested to see if they could donate a kidney.

But as she received the news from the doctor that her siblings were not suitable, her husband Laurence, 36, put himself forward - and following numerous tests he was found to be an almost perfect match.

Now, less than two months after the operation, Parveedar is fit and healthy and incredibly grateful to her husband.

“He has given me my life back,” she said. “It is just so precious what he has given me and it was hard to accept. But it was nice to accept and it makes our life normal. I thank him a lot. He is my hero.”

Parveedar - who lives with Laurence in Coral Road - had been suffering recurring kidney infections since 2001. But as the infections became more regular, her health deteriorated.

It was at Christmas in 2007 that the doctor gave her the bad news - her kidney was so badly damaged that she needed a new one.

“It was horrible and I was very upset,” said the kitchen assistant at Ipswich School. “It was very upsetting because my daughter was just two-and-a-half-years-old. I was panicking and worried that I might die.”

Parveedar was told that she had less than two years to find a new kidney before she would have needed dialysis treatment - which would have required gruelling trips to the hospital every other day for up to five hours of treatment.

After telling her family in Kenya the news, her four brothers and sisters all volunteered to donate. Each of them was tested but they were blood group B - not matching Parveedar's blood group A.

So Laurence - who works as a postman in Ipswich and is also originally from Kenya - put himself forward. And following numerous tests, it was found that he was an almost perfect match.

On March 17, the couple went into surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for the kidney transplant. And, despite the kidney rejecting three days after the operation, it has been a complete success.

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DESPITE the couple always being close, Laurence's amazing gift to his wife has strengthened their marriage even more.

“Even from going through the tests it made us feel even closer and like we had a stronger bond,” said Parveedar.

Although Parveedar was happy when Laurence offered to donate his kidney, she was worried for him. But it was an easy decision to make for the Ipswich postman.

“As soon as I knew that Parveedar's family could not donate I had made up my mind straight away that possibly I can,” he said.

One of the first jobs the couple had to do was explain to their two daughters, Shenaz, ten, and Asha, four, what they were doing.

“We told them that daddy was going to make mummy better and give her something from his tummy,” said Parveedar.

On March 17 the operation took place and was a huge success. Following six hours of surgery, the couple had an emotional reunion.

“I knew that it had been successful because when I came around I was told that everything had gone well and they told me that Laurence was okay. I was happy when I saw him come to my bed and I knew that he was okay. That put my mind at peace.”

And for Laurence, he is left feeling safe in the knowledge that he has given his wife something which has transformed her life.

“I have given her something that I know she desperately needed,” he said. “I was excited that I could help her and it also helped me because her being on dialysis would have an effect on both our lives.”