A 33-year-old mother of twins is among the 21 potential kidney donors to a complete stranger – an act of charity and courage many would find impossible to even conceive.

The Times last Friday, February 24.

But Romina Deguara from Naxxar did not need time to mull over the idea of offering 30-year-old Chris Bartolo a chance for a life-saving transplant at the request of his son’s mother. In turn, she has one request herself: to attend her children’s Holy Communion in June and take them on a promised and planned family holiday to Gardaland as a gift a month later.

“I would be available for the transplant from the next day,” she said.

The story of the man who suffered double renal failure last year and whose ex-girlfriend Sarah Borg has taken it upon herself – for the love of their son – to find him a kidney replacement, broke her heart. Having matching O positive blood, she immediately contacted her.

Ms Deguara’s reason to sacrifice her own kidney is simple: “What if it happened to me, or to my children? What if we had no matches in our family? I would be so pleased if a stranger came forward.”

The mother, who works as nail technician, has not discussed the potential donation with her seven-year-old twins, and her husband had no comment to make when she informed him, knowing she is “stubborn”.

Her mother has pointed out she too has children and should consider the recovery time required. But Ms Deguara reasons: “God finds you where He wants. You never know when He will take you. I could be returning home and my house explodes,” she said, referring to her acquaintance Sina Sammut, who died in a fireworks explosion in her locality in 2008, leaving her shocked.

“The young mother did not undergo any operations and look what happened to her.”

Although her own mother has asked her to think twice, she too offered a kidney, having matching blood. But Ms Deguara would not allow it. “I am 33 and my mother is 60. The age scares me.”

Ms Deguara suffers from endometriosis and other related problems, and has had her appendix removed. But the fact she has undergone her fair share of operations, the latest only recently, and has been in and out of hospital, is not an issue either.

On the contrary, she is not daunted by surgery, which she is used to, although she is aware the transplant is another story.

“I have received many messages on Facebook about my courage and some have pointed out that they could not do it because of their children. I admit it is not easy, having young kids,” she said.

“But because I am a parent too, I know what it would mean if something happened to me; if I was too tired to play with my children.”

Like the other potential donors who have come forward following Ms Borg’s online advert and the media attention the story generated, she would be undergoing the necessary tests to check if she is compatible.

It is not the first time Ms Deguara offered a kidney. Many years ago, she went to the rescue of a young boy, another stranger, but her blood did not match.

“If I could, I would give Mr Bartolo both of mine.”

The clock is ticking as Chris Bartolo is kept going by a dialysis machine

Dialysis is keeping Mr Bartolo going – a system that does the work of the kidneys. However, there have been hiccups along the way and his body rejected the dialysis he was doing at home, which was more convenient, allowing him to avoid going to the hospital’s Renal Unit every other day.

At first, it was thought the problem was the machine and it was changed, but Mr Bartolo’s body continued to swell up badly and he has since had to return to hospital for the treatment.

Last Monday, he underwent yet another operation to be able to have another type of dialysis, but whether the intervention was a success will only be known in six weeks’ time.

Ms Borg is hoping and praying it will work out because there would be no more alternatives, other than a transplant, if the dialysis does not work for him.

Then, of course, the body would have to accept the transplant too.

Each year, about 12 kidney transplants are carried out, including three from live donors, explained the vice president of the Transplant Support Group James Muscat.

Mr Muscat, who is a donor himself, “disagrees strongly” with placing adverts for kidneys. He feels this is unethical and there is a system in place and waiting lists for such donations.

Once a kidney was available, he said, it was not a matter of “first come, first served” since the donor and recipient had to be compatible. Urgent cases were also given priority.

A kidney can either be donated from a deceased person, or a living donor. Once a live donor is identified, they would have to undergo many tests to ensure they were compatible and healthy.

The surgery for the donor lasts about four hours and the recovery time is about six weeks, with about one week in hospital.

The organ recipient normally spends a few days in ITU and about 10 days in hospital. Recovery time is also about six weeks.