22 December 2025

After 52 years of marriage, Margaret and Gary have faced many milestones together. This Christmas, they’ll be celebrating one of their most significant yet.

Last week, the couple - both in their 70s - were admitted to Austin Hospital for a living donor kidney transplant, with Margaret donating her kidney to her husband, Gary.

Gary had been living with a chronic kidney condition since birth, which meant he required a kidney transplant. When the opportunity arose for a living donation, Margaret didn’t hesitate.

For Margaret, becoming a living donor was not straightforward. Initially told she was ineligible to donate due to her weight and age, she refused to give up.

“I thought, I’d fix that - I just put my head down, bum up and got on with it,” Margaret said.

Margaret and Gary hold hands as they prepare for living donor kidney transplantation at Austin Hospital

With her goal firmly in sight, Margaret lost 17kg to meet the criteria required to become a living kidney donor - an extraordinary effort motivated by her desire to give her husband a better quality of life.

“A healthy weight is an important consideration for living kidney donation, as it helps minimise surgical risk and protects the donor’s long-term health,” said said Dr Sia Pefanis, Nephrologist and transplant specialist.

“Margaret’s determination to meet those requirements is truly exceptional. Achieving such significant weight loss later in life reflects an extraordinary level of commitment and care for her husband.”

The transplant surgery was performed on Thursday 11 December at Austin Hospital and was successful. Both Margaret and Gary are recovering well and are being closely supported by their care teams, families and most importantly, each other.

“Living donor kidney transplants offer excellent outcomes, and it has been incredibly rewarding for our clinical team to see them progressing positively and supporting one another through their recovery,” said Dr Pefanis.

For Gary, the transplant marks a new lease on life. More time in his garden, more time with his birds, and more time to watch the footy.

And, as the festive season draws closer, Margaret and Gary will be spending Christmas with something they can’t wrap or place under a tree - more time together.

Margaret and Gary with their wedding photo of 52 years

“I just can’t believe what she has done for me. It’s incredible. I appreciate it so much. I feel like a different person already. How can I ever thank her for that? It just proves how important family is,” said Gary.

Living donor kidney transplants can offer significant benefits for patients, including reduced waiting times and improved outcomes. Austin Health is proud to support living donors through the Australian Centre for Transplantation Excellence and Research (ACTER), helping families and loved ones make life-changing decisions together.