Hearts set on a... donor kidney

Nicola and Simon King: all we want for Valentine’s day is a new kidney for Nicola

Simon King has cast aside the traditional romantic card and flowers this Valentine’s Day.

Instead he has used social media to beg for a life-saving kidney for his critically-ill wife.

Simon, of Kirkdale Drive, Royton told our sister paper, the Oldham Chronicle, that he took to Facebook to find willing donors for his wife Nicola, mum to six children.

Nicola has battled kidney disease since the birth of the couple’s second child in 2004. A few months ago she was told she needed a transplant.

Simon (34) said: “Nicola has three choices: to stay on daily, eight-hour dialysis for life, have a transplant, or die. For her to die and leave our six kids without a mum is not allowed.

“I decided to set up a Facebook group to reach out to people, but appealing to people directly to donate a kidney is a very uncomfortable position to be in.”

Nicola is in desperate need of a life-saving kidney and has already cheated death twice.

“Nicola doesn’t like the idea of being indebted to someone for something that could never be satisfactorily repaid,” said Simon.

“It weighs heavy on our minds to put people in this position. But there is no escaping the fact we are in this position, like it or not.”

Nicola (32) has a tube permanently in her stomach to handle the eight-hour daily dialysis

She wouldn’t speak directly, but Simon said: “It affects Nicola every day, and dictates how she spends her time — sometimes it is too difficult for her to even get up and down the stairs.”

The couple have six children aged 13 to one.

Simon said: “The kids have all been great, they just get on with it. We talk openly to them about it.”

Simon’s Facebook page features an appeal for people to be tested as a potential donor for Nicola:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/241189679392710/permalink/241305742714437/

The couple are being helped by Salford Royal Hospital and hope the hospital network will eventually find a suitable kidney.

Potential willing donors can contact the live donor team at Salford Royal Hospital on 0161-206 0531, 07793 189 544 or by email at livedonorteam@srft.nhs.uk