Paul Swift gets his life back thanks to kidney transplant

PAUL Swift put his life on hold for more than three years while he battled with hours and hours of daily dialysis. Then he got the call he had been waiting for.

Paul Swift, with his wife Barb, received a life-changing kidney transplant last year. Picture: Jason Sammon

PAUL Swift was sitting on the edge of his bed at 5.30am, preparing to hook himself up for home dialysis when the phone call came.

It was the kidney transplant team at The Alfred hospital.

They had an organ for him. Could he get there in a hurry? Absolutely, he said.

Mr Swift, from Mt Martha, had been on dialysis for more than three years after being diagnosed with a hereditary renal disease.

The demands of dialysis — six hours a day, three times a week — and his deteriorating kidneys (then kidney, after having one removed in 2012) mean Mr Swift could not travel far from home. Nor could he have more than 500ml of fluid a day (that’s only two cups of tea).

“As soon as you’re on dialysis, you’re on the transplant list,” he said.

“I kept as fit and healthy as I could to be ready when the call came. They asked where I was and was I available to come straight in. I said yes.”

But it was a strange feeling.

“It’s very emotional as you realise somebody has passed away for you to get a kidney. I do think about the family who lost somebody.”

It took about three months to recover from the transplant surgery, but now Mr Swift is doing well, apart from feeling tired at times. Best of all though, is the lack of restrictions.

“Life is a lot simpler — you get your life back,” he said. “I can’t stress enough how life changing it is.”

With DonateLife Week later this month, Mr Swift is encouraging everybody to register their organ donation wishes.

Less than a third of Australians are on the national donor register, despite most people saying they are willing to donate.

DonateLife Week runs from July 31 until August 7.