Dumfries woman Brook McDowall is looking forward to a charity event she’s organised in aid of Kidney Care UK. Taking place at Crichton Golf Club on August 16, it will mark two years since she was diagnosed with stage five kidney failure. Brook, 23, wants to give something back to the charity that has helped her and so many others suffering with similar conditions. But one person she says she’ll never be able to repay is her uncle, Connor MacKinnon. After being told she needed a transplant to stay alive , it was selfless Connor, 29, who stepped forward and offered Brook one of his kidneys. The operation went ahead in January and Brook is now living life to the full. She said: “I will be eternally grateful for what Connor has given me. It’s something I think about every day and most likely will for the rest of my life. “Connor is my aunt Abbi’s fiancé. Both our families were nothing but supportive in his decision and there is no words in the world to describe what this gesture means to me. He is my hero.” Brook had been feeling constantly unwell for around a year before she was diagnosed. She said: “I knew something was wrong with me but I had no idea it was so serious. “I was ill for so long that I really couldn’t remember feeling healthy physically or mentally. On August 16, 2023 I went to A&E after coughing up blood and I got told that night after many scans and tests that I had kidney failure. “After a long stay in critical care it became apparent that I wouldn’t get better, and that I’d need a kidney transplant to stay alive.” Brook was then forced to endure four hours of dialysis, four days a week until a donor was found. Family members and friends were tested and Brook was given hope when it appeared Connor was a match. Brook said: “I’d been telling my aunt Abbi that the doctors said my condition could leave me infertile and unable to have a family of my own some day. “She went home that night and told Connor. Their little girl Mabel was only around a year old at the time. “Connor said his mind was really made up then because Mabel was the best thing to ever happen to him, and he wanted me to have the chance to feel like that one day. “It’s really emotional even now thinking about that. On January 8, my mum’s birthday coincidentally , he saved my life by giving me one of his kidneys. “The procedure and recovery process was a hard and long one for us both . I really do owe him my life. Thanks to him, I’m now enjoying the little things in life, like being able to go swimming with my wee cousins, or to a concert with my sister. “I immediately felt better after the transplant and life is just getting better and better. There’s so many things I want to do now and I can, thanks to Connor.” Brook’s mum Emma, 44, added: “We were all tested at the time and Brook’s dad Derek was a match. But it was then discovered he actually only has one kidney. You couldn’t make it up. “Connor had to go through a lot of extensive tests before the transplant could take place. In the end, he saved Brook’s life, and we will never be able to repay him for that. He really is a hero.” Connor said: “When I knew I was a match for Brook, I didn’t hesitate. I’ve no regrets, and it’s the best feeling to see how happy and healthy she is now .” One of the main prizes at Brook’s charity auction is a signed Scotland top that Dumfries star Grant Hanley wore in a 1-0 win over Greece in the Nations League earlier this year. To make a bid, contact Brook via Facebook.