{"id":352756,"date":"2026-03-28T21:27:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T21:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/352756\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T21:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T21:27:17","slug":"how-isabella-lenihan-ikin-saved-her-aunts-life-with-a-kidney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/352756\/","title":{"rendered":"How Isabella Lenihan-Ikin saved her aunt\u2019s life with a kidney"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Rhodes Scholar Isabella Lenihan-Ikin\u2019s beloved aunt Brigid Lenihan needed a new kidney, there was no doubt in her mind. If she could, she would donate one of her own.<\/p>\n

Isabella, 29, says, \u201cI knew my mum was actively looking into donating. I said, \u2018If you can\u2019t do it, I\u2019ll look into it.\u2019 It was as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitting beside her aunty Brigid, who she affectionately calls Bid, it\u2019s clear to see the close bond they share.<\/p>\n

Brigid, 65, explains, \u201cIssy and I have always had a wonderful relationship. But I still get emotional. It was totally overwhelming for someone to say they\u2019re going to do that for you. How do you even express how you feel knowing that someone is going to save your life?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brigid was 18 when she first learned something was wrong with her kidneys<\/a>, although it would take many years to be accurately diagnosed with fibronectin nephropathy. The rare, inherited condition causes excess protein to accumulate in the kidneys and eventually leads to irreversible renal failure.<\/p>\n

According to Kidney Health New Zealand<\/a>, one in 10 people globally live with chronic kidney disease, often without realising until organ function has deteriorated significantly. Brigid is one of 10 siblings and chronic kidney disease has had a wide-reaching impact on the family. One sister received a transplant in her late thirties, passing away in her early fifties.<\/p>\n

\"\"Isabella and mental health nurse Brigid continue to dedicate their lives to others\u2019 wellbeing. (Credit: Photography: Robert Trathen.)<\/p>\n

Family history and genetic testing<\/p>\n

Her father, Jack, died without a diagnosis, but subsequent testing revealed the gene mutation runs through the paternal line, and many relatives have since tested positive for the gene, including Isabella\u2019s mother Winnie.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re lucky as a family because developments in science mean the disease can be linked to a particular gene,\u201d shares Isabella, who didn\u2019t hesitate to get tested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am the kind of person who prefers to know. Early detection is a really important part of being able to slow the disease, and I encourage other family members on the fence that this can be a positive step in terms of delaying onset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabella tested negative and explains testing positive is not a guarantee you will get the disease. <\/p>\n

Life after testing<\/p>\n

For Brigid, a devoted mental health nurse, there were decades where kidney disease didn\u2019t dramatically affect her life. She could still work, exercise and socialise.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy kidneys deteriorated very slowly over a long period,\u201d says Brigid, who in 2017 started on nightly dialysis as she slept.<\/p>\n

\"\"Isabella following surgery at Auckland Hospital in 2021.<\/p>\n

The life-changing diagnosis<\/p>\n

Then in 2019, she was shocked to learn she needed a kidney transplant to survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought it would happen,\u201d she admits. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an optimistic person. I believed that it was going to be fine and I\u2019d keep living the way I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Multiple family members stepped forward to be a donor but, for various reasons, weren\u2019t able to donate.<\/p>\n

A quiet journey<\/p>\n

For nearly a year, Isabella quietly went through the extensive screening process, not wanting to get anyone\u2019s hopes up. Only when the testing reached a stage requiring both donor and recipient to be involved did she finally tell Brigid.<\/p>\n

Isabella, then 25, insists she simply did what anyone would. But Brigid disagrees.<\/p>\n

She shares, \u201cI will contradict Issy and say she is a remarkable person with an amazing heart, and is always giving. I don\u2019t agree with her that just anybody would do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Isabella\u2019s aunt following surgery at Auckland Hospital in 2021.<\/p>\n

The transplant journey<\/p>\n

The transplant took place in September 2021, just days into a pandemic lockdown. Despite the magnitude of the operation, Isabella\u2019s own recovery was swift.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re a donor, you\u2019re a healthy person,\u201d she reflects. <\/p>\n

\u201cI went into hospital as a well person, was there less than 24 hours and left as a well person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspiring others<\/p>\n

Isabella hopes their story encourages others to consider organ donation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel so lucky for the opportunity to have been involved in someone\u2019s life at such an important time,\u201d she smiles.<\/p>\n

Today, both women are thriving, even completing half marathons in the years since the transplant.<\/p>\n

\"\"Isabella graduatingfrom Oxford in 2023.<\/p>\n

Dedication to public health<\/p>\n

\u201cBid has an incredible optimism and resilience, and continues to dedicate her life to the public health system,\u201d shares Isabella.<\/p>\n

After initially post-poning her Rhodes Scholar placement to donate her kidney, Isabella is now completing a PhD in climate change and health at the University of Oxford. She has travelled to Ghana for her Masters to research how kidney disease effects women there and she is also a qualified lawyer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live a very full life,\u201d Isabella grins. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are lots of things I want to do and I won\u2019t let one kidney stop me.\u201d<\/p>\n

March is National Kidney Month and Kidney Health New Zealand is encouraging Kiwis to get their kidneys tested. Find out more at loveyourkidneys.co.nz<\/a><\/p>\n

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