The need for a transplant arose after Ms McKercher’s kidney function declined from living with reflux nephropathy since she was a small child.

“That meant a lot of urinary tract infections and things like that growing up,” she said.

“Doctors kept an eye on me, every so often I was heading to the specialists and having tests done.

“I guess over the years the kidney functions got worse and worse, to the point where I needed a kidney transplant.”

Mrs McKercher said prior to the transplant, she didn’t feel like she was living, just existing.

“I didn’t feel great most of the time. Side effects of renal failure weren’t good,” she said.

“I was very fatigued, nauseated most of the time, struggled with food, didn’t want to eat.”

In support of his wife, Mr McKercher had his kidney tested to see if he was a match.

“When it was mentioned by the specialist that Paula needs to have the transplant, I was like, test me. No thought, it was just what needed to happen,” he said.

Their 20-year-old son, Jake, said he didn’t expect anything less from his parents.

“I just knew that that’s the kind of person he is, and if the roles were reversed, that’s exactly what Mum would do as well. And, I’d do the same thing,” he said.

“That’s just how we are. We’re a pretty tight-knit family.”

Mr McKercher’s kidney was a match, except he had a different blood type.

“So that introduces a little more risk, some more medication, more procedures before the transplant,” he said.

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It was then suggested that the two participate in the Australian Paired Kidney Exchange.

DonateLife executive officer Davin Hibberd said because there were so many more donors to accurately match, the outcome for recipients was often better through the Paired Kidney Exchange.

“Our data reflects at any given time there are 11,000 people on dialysis across Australia,” he said.

“I think the value of the Paired Kidney Exchange is incredible, and it’s almost half of the organs that are donated year-on-year now. 

“It’s an incredible value to the community.”

The exchange works by identifying matches for patients who are eligible for a kidney transplant who have a donor who is willing, but unable to donate due to an incompatible blood or tissue type.

A computer program is used to search the entire available database of registered recipient and donor pairs to look for combinations where the donor is an incompatible pair could be matched to a recipient in another pair.

Mr McKercher said he initially struggled with the idea of donating a kidney to someone else.

“I struggled a little bit to start with, because my mindset was one-to-one,” he said.

“I thought about it, and it’s not only giving Paula what she needs, but it’s giving someone else what they need as well. So it’s not just helping one person, you end up helping another eight.”

Mr McKercher said they signed the paperwork for the Paired Kidney Exchange in December.

“There was a run for that in February, and it turned out that there was a nine-way compatible swap,” he said.

Despite knowing she was going to be receiving a new kidney, Mrs McKercher said it was a trying time waiting to have the operation.

“There was just no booking ahead, because you didn’t know,” she said.

“Especially when we knew the match had happened, and we were going to know by a certain date. But after that date, you don’t know what the date of the transplant is going to be.

“I found it really, really hard. I did seek help, and that helped a lot.

“It’s amazing what goes through your head, I think, especially when you’re not feeling that well, and you think is this ever going to end? Is this what my life’s going to be like?

“I think probably for all of us, even Jake really struggled. He’s got both parents going under the knife, and it was very tough.”

Jake agreed that it was a tough time.

“So many years before, all we could do was say, ‘Are you okay?’ or ‘Can we do anything?’,” he said.

“Dad and I had spoken about that a lot. That was one of our big struggles, that we could do nothing to help.”

Mr and Mrs McKercher spent about four and a half weeks in Melbourne earlier this year for the procedure.

“There were 18 people involved [in the exchange], all done on the one day in different states across the country,” Mr McKercher said.

“When we went to Melbourne for our pre-admission, my surgeon said there was no good reason for me to do this. 

“He said, ‘You’re healthy. You don’t need a medical procedure. I can’t tell you why you’re doing this – you know why you’re doing this. I have no good reason to do it’.

Mr McKercher knew it needed to happen.

“It’s probably the only time in the last 20-odd years that I could physically do something to help. It could actually do something.”

Mrs McKercher said the exchange was an amazing thing, and that she felt as though she had a new lease on life.

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“If you don’t have that perfect match, and if you can get a better match from somebody else and your partner can give to someone else [a kidney] that’s going to be a better match, it’s amazing,” she said.

“I can’t even put it into words. It’s such a precious gift.

“I still view that I’ve got Martin’s kidney, or that he’s donated to me, by giving up his kidney to someone else.

“For me to get a better match that came from someone else is incredible, that they were generous to do that to help out their partner or their friend or companion.”

She said she felt great after waking up from surgery.

“I know the first time I looked at myself in the mirror after the transplant, I was like wow, I’ve actually got colour in my face. It was amazing, I felt like I looked totally different,” she said.

“It was instant. I was lucky the kidney kicked in straight away, which doesn’t always happen. Results were really good right from the beginning.

“I feel so much better, even in such a short time. This generous person has given me an amazing kidney that my body obviously agrees with.

“I can’t even describe how much better I feel, it’s unbelievable.”

Mr McKercher said returning home to Launceston was a turning point for the family.

“When she got home she seemed to go ahead in leaps and bounds. Just to see the difference in what Paula was going through to now is such a massive difference.”

DonateLife Week runs from July 29 to August 5. To join the Australian Organ Donor Register, visit donatelife.gov.au.