THE brother of a woman who survived for 18 years thanks to a kidney donation today told of his sadness after she lost her long fight for life.

Alan Tew, of Strensall, spoke after his sister, Alison Shelton, died aged only 37.

Alison, who lived in Nottingham, was given a kidney by the pair's other brother, Michael, back in 1985.

Alan said: "I am deeply upset. She had been through so much with her illness, and I really will miss her."

Michael now lives in Melbourne, Australia, but travelled 13,000 miles to Nottingham for a last farewell.

He said: "The funeral was the saddest day I have ever known, but I suppose the kidney I gave her was a way of giving her a quality of life.

"And it made it possible to conceive her little baby boy."

Alison suffered from lupus and needed dialysis three times a week. Without the transplant she would have died within a year.

Michael was a perfect match and the successful transplant gave Alison many years of good health.

On becoming pregnant, she was advised not to have the baby, but wanted to bring a new life into the world.

Sadly the ordeal was too much for the transplanted organ, which began to fail.

Now a proud uncle to seven-year-old Jamie, Alan will be watching his progress keenly.

"He is a great little lad. He is really upset that his mum is suddenly gone, but he is bearing up really well, I am very proud of him, and I am sure his mum would be too."

Updated: 11:13 Tuesday, April 22, 2003