My story: 'He gave me his heart, I gave him a kidney'

For Anne Schuller and her husband, Kym, a second chance at love also became a second chance at life.

- GENEVIEVE GANNON

The bond between my husband, Kym Schuller, and I is very precious, given that it is a second marriage for each of us. We met working in the property industry, where we always admired each other's achievements and shared a passion for our profession. We were friends first. Kym had a career as an architectural designer and eventually he started working at the same company with me. In time we discovered there was more to our friendship.

We shared a lot of interests. We loved to travel and ski, and our Christian faith gives a rich foundation to all that we do. As we got to know each other on a deeper level over dinners, I learned that since he was 15, Kym had been managing kidney disease. Only one of his kidneys worked, and he'd lived his whole life with it operating at about 20 per cent.

He had always been able to manage his condition through diet and having semi-regular check-ups with specialists. He largely lived a life free from complications. He never drew attention to himself. He's just not that sort of person.

Kym always knew he would one day need a new kidney and fortunately had a willing donor. So, when Kym's kidney function began to decline in 2013, we decided to go overseas and have a good holiday, knowing he may not be able to do it again. As it happened, his kidney kept ticking over.