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Who's a good girl? Lucy Humphrey's dog Indie, that's who!
Lucy (44), from Caerphilly in South Wales, was in need of a life-saving kidney transplant when one day she and her partner Cenydd Owen (49) took their Dobermans, Jake and Indie, to the beach. And Indie sniffed out the perfect kidney donor for her owner!
Lucy was suffering from kidney failure after being diagnosed with lupus 15 years ago.
In 2019, she received the devastating news that if she didn’t have a kidney transplant, she would only have five years to live.
Before getting the news, Lucy and Cenydd had bought a caravan for weekends away, but their plans had to be put on hold due to Lucy's health.
The couple had planned a two-day break to Aberystwyth, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from where they live, but because Lucy was unable to travel that far, they visited nearby Cold Knap Beach, just 30 minutes from their home, with their dogs.
They parked their caravan and set up a braai, but Indie had other plans.
"Indie kept going over to this woman about 100 yards away (about 90 metres)," Lucy tells the BBC.
Katie James (40), the woman Indie kept going up to, was sitting by herself, crocheting a blanket.
"We kept calling her back, because obviously a big Doberman can be a little bit intimidating.
"In the end we went over to apologise to her."
Katie said she didn’t mind Indie's attention, and Lucy invited her to join their braai.
"She came over with some drinks, and she offered me some,” Lucy recalls.
"Cenydd explained that I couldn't drink as I was on dialysis. She was like, 'Oh, what for?' And he said that I was waiting for a kidney transplant."
By sheer coincidence, Katie remarked that she'd just signed up to be a kidney donor, "for anyone who wants it".
Katie and Lucy exchanged phone numbers and contacted a donor coordinator.
“Katie had all the tests and it turned out she was a perfect match for me,” Lucy says.
Katie volunteered to be Lucy’s donor and the transplant took place successfully last October, at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
“I feel really lucky that I got to know Lucy. I know that it's worked, and I know that she's out there living her life. To me, there's been no negative to it whatsoever,” Katie says.
“It's the best thing I've ever done, and I feel so proud of myself, and my family are proud of me.”
Lucy is still amazed that her Doberman managed to sniff out a perfect kidney donor, especially after a surgeon told her there was only a one-in-22 million chance of finding the perfect match.
“I really needed this transplant; I'd been on the waiting list for several years. It's completely changed my life."
Sources: Daily Mail, Mirror, BBC
