Peter had a kidney transplant

Peter has always felt most at home in the bush. Raised in rural Queensland, he grew up working on the land. He later built a life in Cunnamulla, remote Queensland, with his wife Judy and their children Jeffrey, Lauren, and Simon. 

At 37, Peter’s life changed dramatically. Once active and hardworking, he was fatigued and weak. He was flown to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane where he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy – a chronic autoimmune disease that leads to kidney failure. The diagnosis was devastating.  

‘I cried. It was an overwhelming feeling of fear and despair,’ Peter recalls. 

Dialysis quickly became part of Peter’s daily life. While he remained in Brisbane to begin treatment, Judy made the long 10-hour drive home to Cunnamulla with their children.  

Eventually, Peter returned home and managed haemodialysis remotely. When his dialysis machine failed, the Royal Flying Doctor Service would fly him back to Brisbane for urgent care. 

Peter waited four long years for a transplant. By the time the call came, he was in end-stage renal failure and struggling to walk. 

‘When I got the call to say I was getting a transplant, I was filled with excitement and relief. This kidney meant that I could get my life back.’  

The transplant was a success.  

’My health after the transplant was fantastic. I could walk again, and I was free from pain and suffering,’ Peter says. 

Thirty years on, the kidney Peter received in 1996 continues to function well. His gratitude has never wavered.  

‘There aren’t enough words to express what this has meant to myself and my family,’ Peter says.  

 ‘We understand that a family was going through profound grief and tragedy while we were starting a positive journey. It was a deeply conflicting time.’ 

To those considering registering as an organ and tissue donor, Peter offers simple advice: 

‘It is an act of human kindness that can help another person.’