'Married at First Sight' Star Saves Ex's Life
Married at First Sight UK alum is proving that just because one divorces an ex doesn't mean they can't save his or her life. She's putting a whole new meaning to unconditional love as Marilyse Corrigan recently shared the news that she successfully completed a kidney transplant in order to give her ex a second chance at life. The reality star, 37, participated in a kidney donation scheme, where her organ went to a woman in order for her ex, Shaun, to receive one in exchange.
Shaun, who shares two sons with Corrigan, suffers from polycystic kidney disease. The condition causes cysts to grow, which reduces kidney function and leads to kidney failure. In a post Corrigan shared to social media, she let her followers know that her "job was done now," adding that she's headed home to rest as Shaun recovers.
'We did it! I look far better than I feel for sure," she captioned a post of her from her hospital bed. "Thank you for all the messages of support. It has honestly helped get me through the last few days. Hearing so many stories of donations, I have read every message and it has been so comforting to read. I've just been to see Shaun, he is doing well, he actually looks better than I do! Which is to be expected. Home time. Need my bed & lots of rest now. My job is now done."
Despite being healthy, Corrigan did not qualify for the transplant. Test results proved she was not a match. Shaun learned that he would need dialysis and a donor transplant in 2019. Corrigan revealed that she was motivated by her children to help. "They were very upset because they don't understand it," she told OK! Magazine. "And we had to explain to them what it meant and they had to witness when they were staying with their dad and he'd be on the [dialysis] machine every night."
Members of Shaun's family were able to give their own kidneys due to a variety of reasons, including their own health conditions. As a result, Shaun was left on a competitive waiting list for a dead donor. On a visit to see his sons, Corrigan surprised him with a letter detailing her plans to help, which moved Shaun to tears. But the coronavirus pandemic would bring their plans to a screeching halt.
"I signed all the paperwork and Covid hit," she explained. "Shaun couldn't have the kids because he had to isolate – he was a high-risk patient. So I had the kids for a year while he did a few window visits to say hi to them. So for me, this is my kids needing the kidney because I needed it for their dad, so that's how I look at it. And because my kids are so important and valuable to me then it makes the whole situation right."
Luckily, all worked out. Both Shaun and Corrigan are on the mend and their children couldn't be happier.