A GAWBER woman who has been on the waiting list for a new kidney for more than a decade believes she would be dead if it wasn't for the help of her family.

Victoria Firth, 33, of Walton Street, has had dialysis for 11 years. But over the last 12 months, the fistula - a surgically modified blood vessel fitted for dialysis - started to fail.

"We knew it was failing but didn't know how much it would affect me."

Victoria was hospitalised nine times in 12 months and even considered giving up dialysis.

"I had no energy, constantly felt sick, didn't want to eat or drink. It got to the point where I wanted to stop dialysis and If it had been up to me I wouldn't be here now.

"My family changed my mind."

She is now feeling better after having a new fistula fitted and is having tests to see if her partner Mark Dyson is a match for a transplant.

 

"A transplant is not a cure, it's only a treatment. Some people have three or four kidneys, some people never get one. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ok plodding along as I am."