Journalist Donates Kidney to Teenager After Newspaper Appeal

In a remarkable turn of events, a journalist from the Essex Echo has donated a kidney to a 16-year-old girl after learning of her desperate need for a transplant through a story she was assigned to cover.

A Mother’s Plea

Maya Solecki, from Hadleigh, Essex, suffered severe kidney damage following an E.coli infection in January 2024. Her mother, Maria Solecki, 48, an executive assistant for a local charity, began a search for a donor, but neither she nor other family members or contacts were suitable matches. In March 2025, Maria Solecki reached out to the Echo newspaper in hopes of broadening her appeal.

An Unexpected Match

Emma Palmer, 51, the Echo reporter assigned to Maya’s story, decided to get tested after learning no donor had yet been found. To the astonishment of both families, Palmer proved to be a compatible match. The transplant operation successfully took place in January 2026.

“My Hero”

Maya Solecki described Palmer as “my hero,” expressing her profound gratitude. “I retain telling her I wish there was a bigger phrase than thank you,” she said. She acknowledged being “on her last bit of willpower” before a donor was found.

A Life-Saving Gift

Maria Solecki expressed her immense gratitude, stating, “As a parent there are simply no words of gratitude that are enough for somebody who altruistically comes forward to save the life of your child, a child they don’t even recognize.” She noted that approximately 20 people came forward for testing after the initial appeal in the newspaper.

Palmer’s Motivation

Emma Palmer, writing in the Echo, explained her decision to get tested, stating, “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve had 50 good years and am blessed with a wonderful and healthy family. To think that a 15-year-old girl – as she was at the time – was having to go through so much and giving up hope just really got to me.” Palmer and Maya Solecki have since developed a close bond, with Palmer stating they “feel like we are family already.”

The Importance of Donation

Maria Solecki highlighted the lengthy wait times for donor kidneys, noting that the wait can be more than three years, with around 150 children currently awaiting transplants. She urged anyone considering kidney donation to come forward, stating, “The call to action is for anyone who might want to donate to a child or a young person, please don’t hesitate and get somebody else off dialysis and give them a chance at a normal life.”

Maya Solecki will “always have a chronic condition” but is now feeling “amazing” and “the best I’ve felt since I initially got ill” thanks to the transplant.