A HEALTHY British husband donated his kidney to a stranger in return for one for his wife who needed a transplant.

    Dave Howe, 47, was devastated when he was told he wasn’t a match for Kathleen after she suffered kidney failure in 2007.

    But the couple were given a glimmer of hope after doctors told them about a scheme called Pair Pool Donation.

    This is when a recipient and their loved one who are not compatible can be matched with another pair in a similar situation.

    The couple have been married for 30 years, after tying the knot when Howe was only 16 years old.

    There was hope of Howe donating his kidney to his wife when doctors at Preston Royal Hospital conducted tests and found they were the same blood group and tissue type.

    But they were not a perfect match and after looking into the live donor list, Fiona Biggins — the live donor coordinator — told them about the Pair Pool Donation.

    Howe, from Stacksteads, Lancashire, said: “When Kathleen became ill I wanted to give her my kidney and was absolutely devastated that I wasn’t a match.”

    The couple underwent seven rounds of tests with other pairs, but each time was disappointed. Then, after two years of agonized waiting, the couple struck gold.

    “When we were told that there was a match, I was elated, it felt like winning the lottery,” Howe said.

    Pair Pool Donation works on a confidential basis but Howe does know the kidney he donated was given to a patient in Leeds, while Kathleen’s also came from Leeds.

    The wife said her health was improving since the successful operation.

    But she said: “Although I am happy that I’m getting better, it makes me quite sad to think that most people who are in my position don’t even know that it (the scheme) exists.” (SD-Agencies)