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A 61 year-old grandmother has said a kidney transplant has "totally changed" her life, having previously received 17 unsuitable offers of donated organs.

Alison Bennett, from Eastleigh, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease 16 years ago and put on palliative care after losing a kidney in 2020.

In March she underwent a successful transplant at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

"I can never thank enough the gift of life the donor's family has given me", she said.

Mrs Bennett was first diagnosed in 2007 when cysts were found on her kidneys and liver during an endoscopy procedure.

Her condition remained stable until 2018 when she was put on dialysis.

During the pandemic, Mrs Bennett caught Covid and was placed on a ventilator and was eventually fitted with a tracheotomy.

During a "long and painful recovery", she had to learn how to talk and walk again.

Mrs Bennett has an antibody which would react to 19 out of 20 transplant donors, so it meant 17 offers were received before a suitable organ was found.

She said: "I now have more time and energy to spend with my family, going out for trips together and doing the things we couldn't do before.

"It has totally changed mine and my family's life and I will forever be grateful."

In a post dedicated to promoting organ donation, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said Mrs Bennett and her family have been "strong advocates" for organ donation and kidney disease research.

The family has raised more then £30,000 for charities and hospitals including Kidney Research UK and the kidney unit at the Queen Alexandra Hospital.

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