Mum pledges: "I'll lose weight to save son's life".

Jan 11 2013 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post

A mum has pledged to shed her weight – in case she needs to save herson’s life.

Eileen Granger knows her brave boy, Ross, may be on the verge of a kidney transplant after battling cancer through his young life.

And with potential donors at a premium, Eileen has been told she must shape-up to make the vital list.

She explained: “I’ve always wanted to lose some weight but this has given me a real kick up the bum.

“When Ross goes through puberty, his need for a transplant could be huge.

“As his muscles grow, they start giving off a waste called creatinine, which is filtered through the kidneys.

“The doctors at Yorkhill say they’ve never seen a case like Ross where he only has half a kidney, so they’ve no idea how his body will react.”

That’s why Eileen is determined to be ready in case she’s called upon to donate one of her healthy organs.

Now she plans to drop four stone in a bid to be on call should Ross need her help.

Eileen, of Prestwick, said: “The best donor matches tend to be family members, so I obviously want to be available.

“It shocked me when I heard they probably wouldn’t take my kidney at the moment because of what I weigh.

“The risks involved for the donor can be bigger than then person receiving, so you have to be very fit.

“I would be devastated if I couldn’t give Ross my kidney just because I weighed too much.

“That’s why I’m going to do something about it.”

Eileen, 43, is also hitting the gym in aid of children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.

And she plans to celebrate her challenge in a unique way.

She laughed: “I’ve got a size 12 bikini that’s buried somewhere in my cupboard which I bought years ago for a holiday.

“It’s still got the tags on and has never been worn.

“I reckon that if I lose the weight, I’ll celebrate by wearing that to the next CLIC Sargent Boxing Day Dip.

“My big sister Karen is going to help me as she runs the local Rosemary Conley diet and fitness classes.

“It’s funny because when we were growing up, she was always the tall skinny one and I was the wee fat one, so we’ll see what difference this makes!”

But Eileen’s husband Sean fears the new regime could spell problems for his waistline.

He joked: “I’ll have to eat all the takeaways myself now. So as Eileen loses weight, I’ll be piling it on.”

To sponsor Eileen’s weight loss, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/eileengranger