Couple who underwent three-way kidney ‘swap shop’ scheme say family is now 'complete'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A couple took part in a three-way kidney exchange which has allowed them to "complete (their) family" and become equal. The pair saw one partner receive a kidney from a "heroic" altruistic donor while the other donated to a stranger described as a "swap shop".

Claire Collins, 36, a self-employed hairdresser, was born with a rare form of kidney disease, a hereditary condition called familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy, and has faced a "slow deterioration" in her health since birth. READ MORE: It's a lifeline for many...

but it's closure has left people feeling cut off READ MORE: Greater Manchester Police record huge surge in anti-Semitic hate crime following Hamas attack She started taking medication from the age of two and was on a "special diet" for nearly 20 years, remaining "stick thin" as she couldn't indulge in treats like chips, pizza, bananas, chocolate, or alcohol, and due to severe fatigue, she would go to bed by 7pm each night.

Despite putting on a "brave face for everybody," Claire's condition gave her a "daily reminder that (she) was different". After tying the knot with James, 40, an engineering consultant, in 2010, the pair, living just outside York, started talking about wanting a family.