Bill and Sheila have just celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary. 11 years ago Bill donated his kidney to Shelia after she had been on dialysis for four and half years. They never let dialysis stop them from doing anything, going on lots of holidays and essentially not letting dialysis rule their lives. Whilst on dialysis I felt very similar to Bill and Shelia and travelled, worked full time and fitted in dialysis somewhere between and so it was great to hear that they did the same.
Their transplant was the first non related living donor transplant to happen in Cardiff and they have since maintained a very good relationship with their surgeon, who has now retired.
I had a lovely day with Bill and Shelia, they took me out for a lovely Italian lunch and then a whistle stop tour of Cardiff.
They chose to have their photos taken at the Donor Stone in Cardiff which is a stone dedicated to all those who had donated their organs. It is located in a lovely quiet park full of other memorial stones, plaques and statues and was a very appropriate setting for the shoot.
View the images on Flickr (they look prettier) here
Thank you you have captured how amazing my parents are in these photos. Without their awesome love for each other and for their family I would not have my mum now and I am so blessed to have them both at this time. I hope your work and their testimony to life before and after transplant will encourage others.
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs to sign up for Organ donations and be willing to be tested to help those they love, it is an amazing gift of life. Bless you in your work Ceri Skinner (Sheila & Bill's youngest daughter)