China wife donates kidney to husband, defying sub 10% match rate for non-blood relatives

In a heartwarming act of selflessness, a young Chinese woman named Liang donated her kidney to her husband, Chung, who suffers from uraemia due to a congenital condition. Despite the slim chance of success, which is less than 10%, Liang gave up one of her kidneys to her husband in September at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.

Chung's condition, a megaureter, requires regular treatment, and he had been on the waiting list for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor for three years. However, suitable blood type donors for O negative patients are scarce, and Chung faced another two to seven years of waiting. With Chung's health deteriorating, Liang realized she needed to act quickly.

She decided to donate her kidney, expressing her fear that he might lose his time waiting for a donor. Medical tests confirmed that Liang's donation would be successful due to her O negative blood type and a negative complement-dependent cytotoxicity test, which ruled out organ rejection. The transplant was a success, and Chung recovered well, being discharged from the hospital on September 23.

Liang expressed no regret, stating that her husband's well-being is her priority. Her parents favored her brother and did not want to raise her after their divorce, which led her to be raised by her grandmother. Chung's biggest regret was not being able to travel with Liang after his recovery, and he hopes to take her around the world, valuing her love and support.