A YOUNG Gloucester mum is hoping to get her life back – when

she undergoes a rare kidney operation next month.

For the past five years Alison Pitt, 33, from Quedgeley, has

suffered a range of kidney problems including repeated in-

fections and kidney stones.

She has had to have several blood transfusions and has been

rushed into intensive care.

About 18 months ago severe damage to Alison's ureter was

discovered and she underwent major surgery. But the surgery did

not work and the new op is possibly Alison's last hope of being

able to live a normal life.

Alison's problems first started when she gave birth to her

daughter Holly, five.

And her frequent visits to hospital have had a massive

impact on her family – so much so that it has caused her

eight-year-old son Reece to lose his hair from stress.

Now Alison is about to undergo a special procedure called an

auto-transplantation.

This involves the removal of her kidney and putting it back

in a different position.

It is a procedure normally used for car crash victims.

Alison said: “I will have the transplant on July 2. I am

scared because it is quite a big operation but hopefully it

will be the end of a long time of kidney problems.

“I will have three surgeons operating on me.

“After this I hope to be able to get on with my life again –

my life has been put on hold.

“I had an operation in September to fix the problem but it

didn't work and I have spent the past two years being on lots

of morphine and painkillers and constantly getting

infections.

“I hardly go out the house now – it has really taken over my

life.”

Alison said she feels guilty about the effects her illness

has had on her family. “It has had a big impact on my

children's lives – my eight-year-old son Reece now suffers from

alopecia (hair loss) and he has lost his hair because of the

stress.

“His condition started when I was in and out of hospital all

the time because he was worried about me.”

Over the last few years Alison has been treated at

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital urology ward 4a. “The staff were

absolutely fantastic. They were really good to me. Although I

am having my transplant at Southmead Hospital in Bristol the

main bulk of my care has been at GRH and I want to say thank

you to the staff.”

The Citizen

But still more are needed. It is really important more

people sign up as organ donors,” said Alison.

“But it is so important people sign up – transplants can

make such a difference to people's lives. They can mean the

difference between life and death.

“My niece Miya died a couple of years ago from kidney cancer

when she was 18 – so I know the pain families go through.”