by Sue Patten

Created on: November 03, 2008

Yes, I do believe in miracles. Far too much in this life gets labelled as a 'coincidence' when in fact what has happened is just not humanly possible. I can be as 'logical' as the enxt person but there are times 'logic' is just not part of the equation.

A few years ago I lost my husband but, thanks to a miracle, good has come of it.

In June 1996, the 13 year old daughter of a work colleague, a small and dainty girl, was admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital with kidney failure. She had been on kidney dialysis virtually from birth and her parents were told that without a transplant she would never leave hospital.

Later that year my husband at the time developed problems with his kidneys and was undergoing tests as one in particular was very diseased.

In January 1997 my husband contracted pneumacocal meningitis and died on the 6th of the month.

He had stated that when he died he wanted his organs used to help others. During a conversation with the transplant co-ordinator I told her about my colleagues daughter. She explained that at 30 years older, 15 stone or so heavier (he was a big guy!) and over a foot taller there could be no match. I understood that but just felt that knowing a family who needed someone to donate organs helped in some way.

That night I prayed that as many of his organs would go to help others.

I returned to work a couple of weeks later. My colleagues were very supportive and the father of the little girl, knowing how much I cared about her and the family, told me his daughter had had a transplant on the 7th of Jan. I told him of my conversation with the transplant co-ordinator at which he went white.

He then explained that her kidney had come from someone who was a lot older and larger but the tissue match had been so good they had gone ahead with the transplant. I enquired further with the doctors as my husband had the kidney infection. They stated that it had totally disappeared even though, medically, it shouldn't.

11 1/2 years later my colleagues daughter has a full and active life thanks to this miracle. My husband had been married twice and had travelled the world for work and leisure. This girl had had no life at all. She had only holidayed in one place as they were the only peopl ehappy to cope with all her dialysis paraphenalia.

Maybe if people could see these miracles for what they are, then people would be able to accept the comfort that they bring to themselves and others.

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