A SUTTON grandmother who underwent a kidney transplant over 30 years ago will attend a special dinner to celebrate her life.

Kathleen Hart, 62, and her husband, Craven district councillor Ken, 61, will attend a black tie event at The Dorchester Hotel, London, next weekend.

Also among the guests is Earby sheep farmer John Morgan.

The event is to celebrate 50 years since the first kidney transplant and around 400 kidney transplant patients in the UK have been invited to the event on September 10.

Mrs Hart, who has a son Robert and two grandchildren Daniel and Jennifer, was just 30 when she underwent the surgery at St James' Hospital, Leeds, after being on dialysis for around five years.

Mrs Hart first realised she was unwell when she was pregnant with her son. When he was 18 months old, Mrs Hart attended the former Victoria Hospital in Keighley, where she was referred to St James' Hospital.

She was told she had kidney failure and doctors gave her three years to live.

She said: "Fortunately for me, they kept me in hospital. I was very, very lucky, in those days if you were a certain age you were basically just left to die.

"I was in hospital for about three months on dialysis and I was allowed to go home for Christmas."

Eventually, machinery to help Mrs Hart was installed in her home and she was on dialysis for up to 12 hours per night. Although there was certain food Mrs Hart couldn't eat, she led quite a normal life.

In early December 1973, Mrs Hart received a life-changing phone call. The hospital had a donor and she had to decide whether to have the operation.

"I kept saying what shall I do, but it was my decision and my decision alone," she said. "You have to think positive. You have to push it to the back of your mind that someone died and I am living. It is very, very difficult."

Now, although Mrs Hart has regular check ups, she has never looked back.

And, Mr and Mrs Hart will have cause for double celebration when they head down to London - their ruby wedding anniversary is on the Sunday.

Mr Morgan told the Herald: "My transplant changed my life - from having to have dialysis threetimes a week to leading a normal life and enjoying physical activities. I enjoy sheep farming and am looking forward to the 'Celebration of Life' event. "