A YORK man is preparing to give his ill sister the precious gift of a better life by donating one of his kidneys to her.

Andrew Boldison, 43, of Pottery Lane, York, has just one more medical test to pass before he can donate one of his kidneys to his sister Mandy Coles, 39, saving her from a life of gruelling dialysis treatments.

Mrs Coles, a mother of four and grandmother of one, from Bellhouse Way, Foxwood, was diagnosed with a long-term kidney problem three years ago, and after kidney failure she started dialysis in March this year.

She was put on the transplant list and faced years of waiting for a suitable donor to become available.

But her family, which includes five sisters and her brother, came to her aid when most of them put themselves forward for compatibility testing.

Andrew was deemed the most suitable, and now the pair are just waiting for the final tests to take place and a date for the operation.

Mrs Coles, who visits York Hospital's renal unit three times a week for four-hourly dialysis sessions and takes 38 tablets a day, said: "Dialysis can be really frustrating and it can leave you feeling really poorly.

"It is horrible, but if it wasn't for the dialysis then I don't think I would be here now. The nurses are great and you see the same people each session which is nice.

"I come from a big family and four of them had tests done and it came back that Andrew was the best person to do it. It is a really big thing for him to do but the whole family has supported me. My eldest daughter Alison comes to all my appointments, she's been brilliant."

Married father of two, Mr Boldison, said: "It was a hell of a decision, but it's something that's got to be done to give Mandy a better quality of life.

"It was confusing in a way, we had to look at the pros and cons of the situation - would there be a downside for me and would it benefit Mandy.

"But we decided that Mandy will benefit from it and if I can cope with one kidney then there's no decision to be made really.

"There's nothing more I can do for her other than give her my heart, and she's got that anyway."

The brother and sister have both given up smoking and Mrs Coles, who has since put on some weight, now faces losing one stone before the operation can go ahead at St James's Hospital in Leeds.

She is seeing a dietician for advice because she is on a restricted diet because of her condition, and she is visiting the gym three times a week in a bid to lose the weight as soon as possible.

Louise Cox, of the National Kidney Research Fund, said Mr Boldison's gesture was "a very admirable thing to do". She said getting donations for kidney patients was still "a huge issue." She said: "There are 7,000 people on the total transplant list every year, that includes heart transplants, liver transplants, the lot."

Updated: 10:30 Friday, November 07, 2003