WISHAW, Scotland, July 19 A Scottish mother has the ultimate 12th birthday gift for her son, one of her kidneys.
Callum Richardson suffers from a disease that is gradually destroying his kidneys. He spends 10 hours a day in dialysis.
His mother, Heather Richardson, said she learned that she could donate a kidney to her son as soon as he turns 12, The Scotsman reported. She and her son have been extensively tested.
"It's the best birthday present I could have given him," she told the Scotsman. "We just want to get the operation over and done with."
Richardson and Callum learned last summer that steroid treatments wouldn't improve his condition. He suffers from nephrotic syndrome, caused by damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys.
They are scheduled for surgery Aug. 8, the newspaper said.
Callum loves his present.
"I have the best mum in the world," he told The Scotsman.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
