Unbeknown to many, local woman Katrina Watterson underwent a life-saving kidney transplant operation in 2014.
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Now, just 12 months on, she has turned her life around.
Tomorrow - Tuesday, July 14 - marks the 12 month anniversary since the 26-year-old had her surgery at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.
Until then she was forced to travel to Canberra three times a week for dialysis.
She was only 15 when the lifestyle chose her.
The demands drained Katrina of the strength to attend Young High School - as well as many other daily routines of a teenager - so she was home-schooled instead.
The trips continued for another 10 years before she purchased her own dialysis machine.
Katrina’s life changed forever the moment she and her family received news that a kidney transplant was available.
Katrina now has a full-time job as a receptionist at Annette’s Place Childcare, Young, and is studying via correspondence to become a primary school teacher.
“Nothing stops her now - she jogs every day, works a full-time job and drives herself to Canberra for her monthly check-up,” her mother Karen said.
“You can see it in her face - she’s full of beans.
“I’m just so proud of what she’s achieved going through this hard time in life, to what she is now.
“She’s just catching up on a normal life that she’s missed out on for the last 10 years.”
Karen decided to share her daughter’s story in the hope of raising awareness of the importance of organ donation.
“You hear about it but you don’t see it,” Karen said.
“If it wasn’t for that kidney donation she wouldn’t be here today.”
