NZPA April 17, 2010, 8:52 am
A Taranaki woman has offered to save a complete stranger’s life by giving her one of her kidneys.
Hillary Kieft, 38, and Celese Mottram, 33, met by chance on a New Plymouth street in May last year, The Taranaki Daily News reported.
Mrs Mottram was on dialysis after contracting a disease that destroyed her kidneys after the birth of her daughter Maddison in March 2006.
The mother of four gave up hope after doctors told her that she would need a transplant.
Mrs Mottram said she thought it was a joke when Mrs Kieft, a born-again Christian, suggested she might be a donor.
Mrs Kieft then contacted Mrs Mottram six weeks later to offer her a kidney.
She said their meeting was “a divine appointment”.
“I live by faith, my love is Jesus Christ and he overcomes a lot.”
Mrs Mottram said it was an incredible thing for a stranger to do.
However, the transplant process did not move fast enough and Mrs Mottram had to have her left foot and ankle amputated six weeks ago because of complications with her dialysis.
The pair still have not been told by the transplant team if they were a match.