Donor embarks on kidney mission

Chris Goodwin hopes to donate a kidney to his uncle

A Hawick youth worker is setting out for the US to donate one of his kidneys to an uncle he has never met.

Chris Goodwin, 20, is flying to Alabama this weekend to give one of the organs to Eddie Goodwin who has the hereditary kidney disease, Alport Syndrome.

The 44-year-old ex-Walmart worker was born with the condition but it was not diagnosed until seven years ago.

His nephew from the Borders is due to fly out on Sunday for medical tests to check the operation can go ahead.

Last year an attempt at a transplant involving Chris's brother failed to proceed.

If the all-clear is given the procedure will now take place next month at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham.

Never flown

Chris - who will spend the next three months in the US - only got in touch with his American relations four years ago and has never been to meet them.

In fact, he has never flown before and has only been as far afield as Scarborough.

His only communication with his American relatives has been by telephone and computer.

Mr Goodwin said his uncle was told in September that a transplant represented his best chance of survival.

It was subsequently discovered that his nephew was a match.

He said that if he could give his uncle an extra 10 years in life then it would be all worthwhile.

Alport Syndrome is a hereditary kidney disease named after the doctor who first identified it in 1927.