A 12-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl can now eat and drink again, go to school and enjoy sleepovers for the first time after her father gave her one of his kidneys.
Matthew Fletcher, 44, of The Street, High Easter, donated the organ to his beloved daughter Hope in April – despite him having an incompatible blood type.
Mr Fletcher, who is the head of sixth form at Helena Romanes School in Great Dunmow and watched his daughter throw javelins at their sports day on Tuesday, has raised £60,000 to date as part of the Always Hope fund.
A tribute show fundraiser at the village hall this Saturday, organised by villager Brian Hockley MBE, will hope to provide the sum a massive boost.
"Hope is great. She never once moans and never questions why she has to be put through this. She is an inspiration to me, she is fantastic," said the father-of-two.
"She hadn't been able to eat for two and a half years, eating through a pump into her tummy in her sleep, but the day after hospital she started eating and hasn't stopped.
"Before she couldn't go on sleepovers, she had to go to bed at five or six o'clock, couldn't stay in school and couldn't go out for meals."
Hope was born with dsypraxic kidneys, which means both organs were unable to take nourishment from food.
She was placed on 13-hour-a-day dialysis and could not walk, yet in 2003, her grandad Roger Lees donated a kidney.
She came out of the transplant in good health, but after nearly four years she was back on the food pump with her kidney failing.
Just 18 months ago her father opted to donate his kidney, despite him having the wrong blood type.
While he was operated on at Guy's and St Thomas' hospital in London in April, and while Hope was in Great Ormond Street, the 12-year-old soon became the first person to receive an incompatible kidney at her second attempt.
Hope, who has a twin sister, Eve, underwent five operations in five weeks, including a plasma exchange.
"I can't tell you enough how determined she is, even the people in the hospital were amazed. She is weeks ahead of other children who have had this transplant," added Mr Fletcher.
"We now just hope she thrives and grows and lives a normal life."
Mr Fletcher, who is running the London Marathon next year, hopes to take families he has met through Great Ormond Street on holiday with money from the Always Hope fund.
But he said it was thanks to his wife Beth and the village's support that the fund had reached such a total.
Mr Hockley's fundraiser will feature performances from tribute acts dedicated to Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. It will take place at High Easter Village Hall this Saturday at 7.30pm.
Mr Hockley said that he was expecting about 100 guests.
Tickets cost £10 while children under 13 can go for free.
To add your name to the NHS Organ Donor Register call 0300 1232323, text SAVE to 84118 or visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.
