A Sutton mum whose partner might not be alive if it wasn’t for a life-saving kidney transplant is shaving her hair for charity.

Nick Southern’s parents Denise and Peter were told to say ‘goodbye’ to their son after it was believed he would not the night to undergo a kidney and pancreas double transplant in 2002.

Now his partner Lisa Massey, of Tintern Road, is fundraising for Kidney Research UK who she says saved his life.

The mum-of-one said: “I think he waited about six months for the transplant, and in the meantime he was really, really poorly.

“The hospital phoned his mum and dad up and said, ‘Come and say your goodbyes because he’s not going to last the night’.

“They said to them, ‘Come and say your goodbyes’, but he just picked up and then a couple days later that’s when he had his transplant.”

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Nick Southern with nephew Morgan when he was 18-months-old. Photo: Lisa Massey

Mr Southern, who is a sales assistant, has twice been diagnosed with skin cancer and had his toe removed due to diabetes which he has also had since he was 14.

The couple have been together for 11 years now but both Ms Massey and their ten-year-old son, Alfie, have also praised him for undergoing so much in the past decade.

She added: [Alfie] knows that his dad has had a kidney transplant, and we’ve sat and spoken with him about it. If it wasn’t for daddy having this, I said him, he wouldn’t be here.

“If Nick didn’t get well and didn’t have this kidney [surgery], I wouldn’t have met Nick and I wouldn’t have had my son. So he thinks his dad is a soldier. He always says, ‘My dad’s a soldier’.

“He’s been through a lot.”

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Lisa Massey

Mr Southern himself believes the charity initiative is ‘brilliant’, commenting he is ‘really proud’ of his partner while also praising Guy’s Hospital based in Southwark.

He added: “I wouldn’t exist now if it wasn’t for them [Kidney Research UK] and the work they do. From a personal perspective I think it’s great, but more so for kidney research.”

A total of £302 has been raised so far, at the time of writing, with a target of £500 by July 20 when the headshave will be taking place.

To see the JustGiving page, click here.