Meet the woman whose new kidney came via her local paper

It’s Monday, give us something to smile about.

Here’s a heart-warming story. Sally-Anne Grainger has said she is overjoyed that she will see her daughters grow up, after having received a kidney transplant from a stranger who read her plea for help in a local paper.
That’s done the job.

And that’s not all.

The donor, 33-year-old pub landlord Wesley Joyce, is a former convict who got in touch with Ms Grainger as a way of atoning for his past mistakes. In fact, nine other people also got in touch after reading about Ms Grainger’s plight in the Worcester News. After receiving a double lung transplant in 2009, she suffered renal failure due to the strong medication she had to take – and also suffers from cystic fibrosis.

But after doctors did tests, it was found that Mr Joyce was the only candidate with a suitable tissue and blood group match.

What’s his story?

A former soldier, Mr Joyce was jailed for four years for an assault in 2004, but has since turned his life around. He told the BBC: “I’ve taken enough out of life myself. I’ve got beautiful children, a beautiful partner; it’s time for me to give something back.”

And for her part?

Miss Grainger, recovering from the operation on Friday at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said: “I’m just so overwhelmed.”

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