Sixty-two-year-old Ian, of Naringal, faced the daunting prospect of spending years tied to regular dialysis treatment after being diagnosed with kidney disease early last year.

His active lifestyle virtually came to a halt when both kidneys failed within days and he was told he would be on the transplant waiting list for up to seven years.

That triggered a bold move by his wife Karen, 40, to investigate donating one of her healthy kidneys.

“When he was first diagnosed I thought about what I could do, but then when he became very ill I realised I had to do it,” she recalled .

“To be playing with a major organ is a tough decision. 

“It’s painful, but to see him so well now is worth every bit of it.”

The Chisletts went through a long period of tests to ascertain compatibility and had to maintain good health as they prepared for the transplant operation two months ago.

“I had been a smoker for 53 years and gave it up cold turkey,” Ian recalled.

For Karen it was an emotional roller-coaster as she prepared for the delicate operation in Melbourne’s Austin Hospital, where surgeons removed a kidney using a side incision and four keyhole points. They inserted her kidney through an incision in the front of Ian’s body below his stomach and attached it near his appendix. His own kidneys were left untouched.

“As soon as they hooked it up it started working,” Ian said. 

“The surgeon said it was an amazing 99 per cent match.

“I’ve been told if I look after my health and there is no kidney rejection I could live to 90.”

He has returned to light farm work and hopes to soon be OK to fire up his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Karen will return to work as a customer service officer next week.

She encouraged others facing transplants to remain positive and stressed the benefits of registering as an organ donor.