Kidney donor couple tie knot

As he made his speech having tied the knot with Mandi Chillery, Eric, 48, admitted he was only there because of her bravery in giving a kidney to him.

This was the culmination of a story of love and sacrifice from when Mandi, who is 39, first volunteered herself as a donor and the couple then got engaged on Christmas Day 2009.

The transplant took place just weeks later at Guys Hospital.

They were both off work for three months, at home in Bromley, with Eric undergoing regular checks to ensure his body was accepting the kidney from his fiancee.

The dream was to get married when both were well again and the ceremony took place in June at Bromley Civic Centre, followed by a reception in Knockholt.

Three of Eric’s four children who all live in Bexhill were there, plus two grandchildren, and his mother as well as twin brother Tim, who came over from Canada to be best man.

There were 150 guests in all and not a dry eye in the house.

Eric said: “When I did my speech there were lots of tears. I bawled my eyes out. I basically said if it was not for Mandi I would not be there in front of my friends and family.

“I cried my eyes out – it was a very emotional wedding. Everyone was crying. I had my speech written out but it just made me suddenly think that if Mandi had not done what she did I would not be there.

“And I was lucky to be there. The day was as much a celebration of being alive as getting married... but the day Mandi gave me her kidney I felt we were married anyway,.

“We become one whole - it is a cliché to say but that’s how we saw it. The ceremony then was just the icing on the cake.”

Eric is continuing to campaign for organ donation and fundraise for Kidney Research UK and says he realises how desperate is the need when he returns to hospital for check-ups and sees the same patients still waiting there.

He urges anyone interested to visit the NHS organ donation website online, or call 0300 123 2323 for details.

This has also been a great year for Bexhill Giants, the basketball team he set up 10 years ago and still works with as chairman and coach alongside son Craig.

The team had its most successful season ever and finished third in the league having reached the cup semi-final.

Bexhill Giants will be staging a tournament at Freedom Leisure in September with funds going to Kidney Research UK – more information nearer the time.