Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy has agreed to sacrifice one of her kidneys in a domino transplant, hoping to find a matching kidney from a donor for her husband.

Though the New Democratic Party whip was willing to donate a kidney, hers was not found to be compatible with that of her husband, which is why she is donating to someone she is compatible with, hoping in exchange a suitable match will be found for her husband.

Six people i. e. three donors and three recipients are involved in this case, with everything done the same day, ensuring three people needing a kidney transplant, get it.

Conroy’s 63-year-old husband, who was a Kootenay West MLA for 10 years has undergone two liver transplants, with strong anti-rejection drugs damaging his kidneys, resulting in his being on dialysis for three years.

Conroy, will be away for a month for the B. C. legislature which starts 7th May, and will fly to Ontario for her surgery, while her husband waits in hospital in Vancouver.

Admitting it is somewhat daunting, Conroy believes it is worthwhile to undergo the surgery, as helping her husband get a new kidney will make a big difference to her family, comprising of four children aged 26 to 37-years, who were also not found to be a match for their father.

Ed Conroy is amazed at his wife’s sacrifice and finds it a difficult gift to accept.

Dr. John Gill of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver said the Living Donor Paired Exchange programme launched by Canadian Blood Services has been in operation in B. C., Ontario and Alberta since last June, and as of this week, 30 paired-exchange transplants, with 15 of them in B. C. have been performed, he said.