Renal patient Chris Bartolo, who underwent a kidney transplant last month, yesterday spent the day out with family after being discharged from hospital on Thursday, incidentally World Kidney Day.

“It feels good to be out of hospital. I feel reborn. It was nice to spend time with family,” Mr Bartolo said, adding that he met up with his former partner Sarah Borg, their son Zac and other relatives for lunch in Buġibba.

Ms Borg said her son was very excited to be able to spend time with his father after the kidney transplant and was now planning other outings with him.

On February 19, Mr Bartolo underwent an eight-hour operation – two years after Times of Malta first reported his plight for a kidney.

The donor – a family friend who prefers to remain anonymous – underwent a four-hour operation and was out of hospital a few days later.

Ms Borg had drawn the country’s attention to his need for a kidney two years ago. She posted a request for a kidney on the Church of Malta Facebook page and also posted an advert on shopping website Malta Park requesting a kidney for him after he suffered a double kidney failure.

About 20 people, who read their story in the media, offered to donate a kidney to Mr Bartolo. But the hospital’s Live Organ Transplant Advisory Committee did not allow any of the potential donors, strangers to Mr Bartolo, to donate specifically to him.

The committee, however, accepted that screening took place on a family friend who had known Mr Bartolo and his family for years. Last November, the family were informed that the operation could go ahead.