Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s senior aide saved the life of a desperately ill child by donating her kidney, it has emerged.
Karie Murphy, the left-wing party’s chief of staff, has spoken about her selfless donation for the first time.
She was motivated to give up her organ after watching a heartbreaking advert.
But it didn’t go without any hiccups, the mother-of-two required hospital treatment after catching an infection from the procedure.
Murphy, 53, is now encouraging healthy adults to donate their organs to help save the lives of those who may be in need.
Karie Murphy, the Labour’s chief of staff, has spoken about her selfless kidney donation for the first time. She donated her organ in 2014
Speaking about her kind donation three years ago, the former nurse told The Daily Mirror: ‘I’m not seeking recognition.
‘I intended to keep it private, but this is one-off public interview to use my position to encourage others to think about what they could do to save lives.
‘I’m healthy, I’m fit and I could do something to help. It was a personal choice, but I would love others to think of doing something similar.’
She added: ‘I saw an advert on TV appealing for people to register as donors and it moved me quite profoundly.
‘Having been 25 years in the NHS, it affected me deeply. I decided it was something I was going to do.’
Murphy, who was involved in the Falkirk vote-rigging row four years ago, made the altruistic donation in December 2014 at Guy’s Hospital, London.
She decided she didn’t want a relationship with the child – known as ‘non-directed altruistic donation’. This was illegal until 11 years ago
It went to a child, whose identity is unknown, from the North East. The youngster is unaware of who the donor organ belongs to.
Altruistic living donors do not have a recipient in mind but volunteer to donate a kidney to someone who is need of a transplant.
She decided she didn’t want a relationship with the child – known as ‘non-directed altruistic donation’. This was illegal until 11 years ago.
Murphy did receive a thank-you card from the boy, sent through the NHS Blood and Transplant service in order to reach her.
Around 3,000 kidney transplants are undertaken each year in the UK, according to official NHS figures. In 2014, more than 17,000 took place in the US.
The operation is carried out when the kidney loses its ability to filter waste products from the blood. This can be life-threatening.
Those desperate for a new organ, but don’t have a suitable living donor, are forced to wait for a suitable deceased kidney. Such waits can extend to five years.
Murphy’s donation comes after scientists found people who donate a kidney to a complete stranger are motivated by their love of the human race.
They hold the welfare of those they have never even met in the same regard than their family and friends, Georgetown University researchers said.