Tim Swinburn from Melksham in Wiltshire knocked on Clare Brixey’s door in Standerwick, Somerset in 2004 with the worst news any parent can receive: her 20-year-old son Ashley had died in a car crash. As the family liaison officer from Wiltshire Police, Swinburn provided compassionate support and became someone Brixey found very easy to talk to during the darkest time in her life. She was already suffering from kidney failure and reliant on dialysis when they first met, making an already tragic situation even more challenging. The pair forged an unexpected friendship that lasted 21 years through life’s ups and downs, supporting each other through difficult times and joking that they were like siblings.
When Swinburn, who resigned from Wiltshire Police in 2007 to become a support worker at The Salvation Army’s Swindon Booth House, learned that Brixey’s previous kidney transplant was failing, he made an extraordinary offer she couldn’t refuse: one of his kidneys, telling her he wouldn’t take no for an answer. The successful four-hour transplant at Southmead Hospital in Bristol took place in October, and both have recovered beautifully with Swinburn already back at work. Brixey has gone horse riding for the first time in years and is spending precious time with her daughter and granddaughter, proving the transplant gave her more than just health. Swinburn says giving the gift of life is simply a human thing to do, and seeing his friend out there riding her horse again and enjoying life with her family makes everything worthwhile.
