Christine Hughes, an administrator at Alston View Nursing Home in Longridge, will in the next few weeks make a visit to the Manchester Royal Hospital, the specialist transplant centre in the North West, to discuss the possibility of undergoing a pioneering procedure that could see her donate a kidney to husband David – even though she had previously been told she wasn't a good enough match.
David has chronic renal failure due to cysts on his kidneys and relies on daily medication – and for the last 15 months has been on eight hours of peritoneal dialysis a day to keep him alive.
On discovering his illness 10 years ago Christine immediately offered to donate one of her kidneys, but she wasn't a correct match.
She said: "From the offset I said I was prepared to give David one of my kidneys and it was difficult when we heard that I wasn't a match.
"I was desperate to save David from having to go on dialysis. I battled and fought for him to go on the transplant list before he needed the treatment."
David, 65, has now been on the list for a transplant for the last two and a half years and Christine says the wait, as a result of a shortage of donors, in this area is four and a half years.
Determined in her efforts to find a matching kidney and help set an example for others to donate, Christine underwent an intensive diet to lose two stone in weight and had numerous health checks so that the couple could join a "pool pairing" system – which allows people to 'swap' kidneys with fellow matching donors and recipients around the country.
"I knew there must be someone out there that was a match for him and it was a risk I was prepared to take, if I could help someone else to help David then I was fully prepared to give away a kidney.
"Pure determination and motivation for what I was doing helped me lose the weight and since then it has been a case of waiting for a call."
But despite nine pairing runs, a match has still not be found and it was after further research that the couple came across the procedure of non-matching transplants.
"It was about 18 months ago when we first went to see a specialist in Coventry about the procedure but the complications with the surgery meant the risks for David were quite severe.
"Since then the Manchester Royal have managed two successful operations and knowing that we had been interested in the procedure the specialists called us up and invited us for a consultation."
Christine and David still have their reservations but David, a civil engineer for Lancashire County Council, says he is fortunate to have the support of Christine and is still able to do the things he loves like the couple's shared passion for amateur dramatics.
He said: "I do get tired and it has had a big impact on our lives but I am lucky to still be able to do the things I could do before the illness.
"I always say there are people worse off than me and that my time will come, you can't sit around feeling sorry for yourself.
"At a conference recently we met two people who had received their transplants 35 years ago which is amazing considering how medical science has moved on since then.
"It's stories like those that keep you going and make you believe your day will come."
The couple, who live in Ingol, Preston, hope that their story will encourage others to think about organ donation and help save the lives of the 7,000 people affected in the UK.
Christine added: "We would just urge people to think about the huge difference you could make to somebody's life- it is nothing short of a miracle to give someone the chance of life and I just hope that people will take a few minutes to consider becoming donors."
To find out more about donating your organs when you die, visit www.organdonation.nhs .uk or ring 0300 1232323.