Every day this week, throughout The Royal Gazette's campaign to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation, a recipient will tell their story of how a transplant changed their life. Student Sophia Greaves speaks first.

When law student Sophia Greaves was just ten years-old she was diagnosed as suffering from Lupus disease.

The condition affected her immune system, and ultimately her kidneys, brain and liver.

As a result, she suffered acute renal failure when she was just 14.

The news of such "chronic failure" may have led many students to justifiably fall behind in their work, become reclusive or lose every inch of confidence they had ever gained.

But not Sophia. Her mother Linda also had kidney failure, and needed regular dialysis, so the two of them drew strength from each other and continued to live life to the full.

Far from falling behind at school, with the help of her classmates and teachers, Sophia did everything to stay ahead. A student at Bermuda High School, Sophia began regular sessions at the dialysis unit in Point Finger Road, where she spent three hours, three times a week ridding her body of fluid and toxins in order to enjoy a normal life.

And every month she had to travel to Boston for a two-day intravenous top-up of Cytoxin, which was like a very reduced dose of chemotherapy.

For eight months, that whole scenario was the norm for Sophia. But she did not complain. That was, of course, until her father Franklyn Greaves, offered her the greatest gift in his power - one of hihis idneys.

Sophia, now 20, said: "After at first going on dialysis I had to make a decision about whether I wanted to stay on dialysis or get a transplant. I could easily have stayed on dialysis and been fine.

"I used to go after school, and we would be with the same group of people each time, and it was actually fun. We had a laugh. Sometimes I would look forward to going.

"But when it came to the issue of whether or not I should have a transplant, I just remember that I felt that it was not my decision. If somebody was going to volunteer to do it, then I would accept the donation. I remember being at a meeting with my parents and doctors and we were discussing the options. My dad just decided he was going to give me one of his kidneys. After that, everything started to happen."

Still at school, Sophia waited for the summer holidays to make the life-altering trip to the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston with her parents. There, both father and daughter went under the surgeon's knife simultaneously.

Linda, who herself required dialysis throughout the ordeal, now had somebody else to worry about, instead of just Sophia and herself.

But she need not have worried, everything went swimmingly. Franklyn was so fit and healthy, he was a perfect candidate for donation.

The operation could not have gone better for either Sophia or her father.

She was in hospital for two weeks, and her dad was out within five days. They both suffered an allergic reaction to morphine, but apart from that, they both felt well. And three months after the transplant, Sophia was able to return to Bermuda, where she picked up her school classes and teenage life as though nothing had happened.

She even went on to become head girl at Bermuda High School. "As soon as they took the kidney out of my dad and put it in me, it was working straight away," she said. "I had no trouble whatsoever. I was on a lot of medication, including steroids, which made me put a lot of weight on, but that was probably the worst thing about the transplant.

"I used to worry a lot about my appearance - I went from a size six to a size 12 in two months. But then I came off the steroids and was back to my original weight by December. I felt perfectly normal. I was very lucky."

But the amazing thing about Sophia is that throughout her ordeal, she never saw herself as ill.

She said she and her mother both enjoyed going for dialysis. Linda, who has now also had a successful transplant, said: "We used to have a blast."

But looking back, Sophia said she also understood how extremely fortunate she was to be able to have the transplant and recover so quickly.

The operation meant she could go swimming again, eat chocolate, peanuts, bananas, potatoes, ice-cream and citrus fruit - and she could drink as much fluids as she wanted. All had been prohibited during the months before.

"I think I gained in confidence a lot afterwards. Being on dialysis, I had lost some of my confidence and I was always worried about everything," said Sophia. "I had never been excluded by my friends, but I felt more able afterwards. I got through it by the grace of God. I'm a very spiritual person and my faith got me through.

"I never considered myself as sick, especially going backwards and forwards to Boston where tiny babies were connected to tubes. In my mind, they were sick. At least I was waking up every day and I felt good in myself. I knew that as long as I had dialysis I was going to be ok. But I was also never treated like a damsel in distress, which also helped."

As for the future, Sophia has an open mind. It is not only her health that has gone from strength to strength, her studies have, too. In 2006 she is hoping to have completed her studies in law at Kings College in London and is thinking of the possibility of returning to the Island to begin her career.