Mothers sacrifice an inspiring journey

IN OCTOBER of last year, the Stratford Press told the story of Linda Malone and her son Hayden.
When we spoke to the Toko pair in 2007, they were days away from major surgery Linda was about to donate one of her kidneys to her son.
The truly inspiring part of the Malone's journey was the lifestyle change Linda had to undergo to be a suitable doner for Hayden.
Weighing over 90kg, Linda had to slim down to be healthy enough to go through the surgery.
So dedicated to improving the quality of her sons life, she lost 33kg in 20 weeks and was named the Weight Watchers Inspirational Slimmer of the Year.
With a newly healthy body, and Hayden's renal function worsening, the pair left for Auckland on Monday, October 15, to embark on a 10-week stay in the city, and to give Hayden a chance at a healthy life without having to resort to dialysis.
Linda was admitted to Auckland Hospital and Hayden, Starship.
"They got me up at 7.45am on Tuesday morning to take me to surgery. Hayden came over to see me before I left for the surgery as he wasn't scheduled till the afternoon. I remember waking up at about 12.30pm and asking how he was doing. I was in a lot of pain, but I wanted to know he was ok," said Linda.
Hayden came through his operation well and was taken to intensive care to recover till Thursday morning.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all going to be smooth sailing for the pair.
"I was in hospital when the Superbug hit. I was sharing a room with the original carrier. They came in and scrubbed everything down and I wasn't allowed to see Hayden. They didn't want to risk contaminating Starship."
After Linda and Hayden were discharged from hospital, they moved into the Ronald McDonald House in anticipation of weeks of blood tests and check-ups.
"To start with, we were going every day. We had a couple of scares where the doctors thought his body was rejecting the kidney and Hayden had to have biopsies. Thankfully, it wasn't."
The Malone's time at the Ronald McDonald house was turned into a bit of an adventure.
Hayden and Linda had the opportunity to meet Jonah Lomu, a prolific kidney transplant recipient, and they were invited to attend the Breakers basketball games.
"The Ronald McDonald House was amazing. We were treated so well and were given every opportunity to make the stay more fun for Hayden. He was able to go to school and we were allowed my parents and Hayden's sister there for support."
Sadly for Linda, her recovery was hampered by a considerable amount of pain.
After a few weeks of trying different medications, it was found that a nerve had been sewn to a muscle during her surgery and she would require another operation to fix it.
Just a few days before the pair were due to return to Taranaki, Linda underwent a second operation to correct the nerve.
"I definately wasn't expecting to have a second operation, but the whole process has been full of the unexpected."
Linda and Hayden arrived home on Christmas Eve, and thanks to the efforts of family, the house was decorated and ready for their return. Since coming home, Hayden has had to go back to Starship twice, and has spent a few nights in Taranaki Base Hospital, but all in all, things are going well.
"We have to make trips to New Plymouth twice a week for blood tests and Hayden has to be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life, but it has all been worth it.
He is back at school doing half days and ultimately, we hope he will be back full-time.
You can see the improvement already. When he has a good day, he is full of energy and it is wonderful to see."
The Malone family would like to thank everyone who has helped them, whether the part they played was big or small. They wish to extend special thanks to the Toko Lions Club, The Stratford Club and Dr Jordaan and the team at Regan Street Medical Centre.