A 15-YEAR-OLD East Lothian boy has become the 100th child in Scotland to receive a kidney from a living donor. . . his mum.

Stephen Gallacher, an S3 pupil at Musselburgh Grammar School, received the organ from his mother Cheryl, 44, in a transplant operation lasting just over four hours at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children last Wednesday.

Stephen, of Musselburgh’s Whitehill Gardens, who became ill shortly after he was born, said ahead of the procedure: “I’m grateful for this. I’ve been waiting since I was five weeks old.”

The teenager was born with a blockage between his bladder and the outside, which caused pressure to build up and resulted in severe kidney disease.

He has been on medication ever since the diagnosis and the illness has hampered his ability to live life to the full.

He said of the impact: “It’s been big. Like at school, at fun run, I’m most of the time at the back of the line. I can’t do contact [sports] like rugby and football.”

Since 2015, surgeons had been preparing to give Stephen a kidney transplant and tests were carried out on both his mother and his father Tommy, 53, to determine who would make the best donor for what is known as the living related donor (LRD) procedure.

Initially, it was thought that Mr Gallacher would be the donor, but tests ultimately confirmed Stephen’s mother as being the most suitable match.

Speaking shortly before he went into surgery, Stephen admitted feeling anxious ahead of the operation but was looking forward to the positive benefits.

He said: “I’m going to feel much healthier, I’m going to run faster, I’ll be bigger.”

He now faces a recovery time of about two weeks in hospital, before resting at home for a while.

The operation also sees Stephen become the 250th child in Scotland to receive a kidney transplant from any donor, living or deceased.

Mrs Gallacher described her son, who spent most of the first year of his life in hospital, as a “wee warrior”.

She said: “He’s been through a lot. He doesn’t let anything hold him back, that’s one good thing about his health problems.

“He just keeps going and does what he can.”

The 44-year-old said that she never thought twice about giving her son one of her kidneys.

“We always knew when he was small there was a possibility as he got older he was going to need it,” she said.

“When it all came to light, obviously it’s your child, you’re not going to hesitate and not get tested for it.”

Mrs Gallacher has been on a health drive to prepare her for becoming a donor, stopping smoking more than three years ago and losing weight at a boot camp.

“I’m a lot fitter than I have been because I knew I had to do it and that was it,” she added.

“I’m delighted that I can do this for Stephen and hopefully make him a lot better.”

Ahead of the operation, she added: “I’d be lying if I wasn’t saying I was anxious, but it’s something Stephen’s needing and obviously if I’m going to be unwell it’s a risk I’m willing to take for him.

“I’ll be in quite a bit of pain for the first few days at least, but I’ve just got to take it easy myself because I’ve got to get better and stronger to help Stephen recover.”

Dr Ben Reynolds, who has been overseeing the operation, said: “We’ve been doing paediatric transplants here in the Glasgow children’s hospital since 1977 and that was from a deceased donor.

“In that time we have now had kidney transplants put into 250 patients. Stephen is our 250th patient and he is receiving our 100th kidney from a live person.

“We’re tremendously excited to have reached this landmark.”

Mr Gallacher told the Courier this week that the transplant had been “the longest day of his life.”

He said: “Stephen is doing brilliantly. They are saying his progress is fantastic.

“He wants to get up and go, and has been out of bed.”

Mr Gallacher described his wife as “an amazing woman”.

“There is no price you can put on what she has done but she didn’t give it a second thought – it was for her son. Stephen is also an amazing boy,” he added.

Stephen’s sister Chloe, 20, has also been very supportive of her brother.

“She has been brilliant and would do anything for him,” said Mr Gallacher.

Mrs Gallacher was discharged from hospital on Tuesday and she and her husband will stay at the hospital’s Ronald McDonald House to be close to Stephen.

“Cheryl’s body has to get used to losing an organ,” said Mr Gallacher.

He paid tribute to Fisherrow Boot Camp in Musselburgh, which Mrs Gallacher joined to prepare for her surgery.

He added: “She lost three-and-a-half stones in weight.

“It was not just the exercise but the food plan and the encouragement she received from everyone.”

The day before Stephen was due to go into hospital for the transplant, which was also his birthday, he insisted on taking part in an East Lothian schools’ concert at The Brunton in Musselburgh, as he is a member of Musselburgh Grammar School’s choir.

He gave up his involvement in East Lothian Youth Theatre at Christmas in order to prepare for his transplant.

His performances on stage have included starring in Consider Yourself at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh with the Southern Lights Theatre Company, when he was part of Fagin’s gang.

Mr Gallacher said that the family had been touched by the kind messages they had received from well-wishers.

He added: “We moved to Musselburgh from Leith 23 years ago and this shows how much we feel part of Musselburgh.”