Brighton wife loses five stone to save husband's life (From The Argus)

Brighton wife loses five stone to save husband's life

3:30pm Wednesday 23rd May 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan

Loving Tracy Jennings has lost more than four stone so she can give her husband the gift of life.

The 52-year-old decided it was time to shed the pounds after discovering she was a perfect match to donate a kidney to husband Tim.

Mrs Jennings said knowing she could help prolong her husband's life was the best incentive for sticking to the diet.

Mr Jennings, 53, has been ill with kidney failure since he was a child and has already had one kidney given to him by his father.

However this was more than 30 years ago and it is now starting to deteriorate, leaving Mr Jennings urgently needing a new one.

A year-and-a-half ago, surgeons said Mr Jennings was eventually going to need another kidney.

Mrs Jennings, 52, from Larkfield Way, Brighton, discovered she was a match and started to lose the weight so she could be as well prepared for the operation as possible.

She said: “I was thinking about wanting to lose weight anyway but when this happened it was an added incentive.

“I wanted to make sure I had done everything that I could to make this work. I tried to put the operation to the back of my mind and just concentrate on the weight and things have gone really well.”

Mrs Jennings, who weighed 15st at her heaviest, joined a WeightWatchers class run by Dee Pope and has focused on eating healthily and staying active.

She has now almost reached her target weight and is planning for the operation later this summer.

She said: “I didn't think twice about it. This operation will turn his life around. That's what you do for people you love.”

Mr Jennings said: “I am very proud of her and very grateful. It is a big step for her to be taking.

“Having the transplant will make my life so much easier. I won't feel so tired and I will be able to get on with my life.”