Nikki had a liver transplant

When Nikki shares her story, she describes it as coming ‘full circle’ - a journey marked by resilience, uncertainty, hope and gratitude. 

Diagnosed in her 20s with 2 autoimmune conditions, Nikki managed her health with medication for many years. Despite regular procedures and flare-ups, she continued to build a life - working, raising her 2 daughters, and doing her best to stay well. 

In 2022, Nikki was hospitalised and diagnosed with oesophageal varices which was linked to liver disease. Preventative treatment began, but just months later, everything changed. 

Nikki collapsed at home and was rushed to hospital where she learned her liver was failing. 

Over the next 18 months, Nikki endured repeated hospitalisations while trying to maintain some sense of normality for her family. But by 2024, her condition had deteriorated significantly. 

‘I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs,’ she says. ‘The brain fog was so bad I couldn’t string a sentence together.’ 

Nikki was placed on a transplant waitlist and just 8 weeks later the call came. 

‘I just remember thinking about the donor and their family. The reality of it all was enormous,’ Nikki says. 

‘I woke up in ICU and I couldn’t believe how alert I was. I remember thinking, “Oh my goodness, it’s over.” I could even see the colour of my skin had changed.’ 

Recovery hasn’t been without its challenges, but Nikki continues to rebuild her strength in honour of her donor - she walks, trains and cycles.  

‘I’ll never know who my donor and their family were, but I owe it to them to stay healthy, happy, and strong,’ Nikki says. 

For Nikki, this journey is about more than survival - it’s about purpose. 

‘Being a parent while enduring liver disease and awaiting a transplant is incredibly challenging. Organ donation offered us the priceless gift of returning to life’s simple moments together as a family and for that I’m so grateful.’