A deluded super fan yesterday admitted postponing a life-saving kidney transplant from her husband – so she could go and see JEDWARD.
Barmy Juliet Barrable, 49, had “end-stage” renal failure and was told she would die in just months unless a donor organ could be found.
Medics were stunned when they found her a match but she postponed the operation because a pal had bought her tickets to see Jedward.
The mum-of-one then jetted off to Dusseldorf, Germany, for the gig, even though she had seen Jedward three times in the last two months.
Juliet said: “I had to live my life – and seeing Jedward was part of that.
“It stopped me moping around and staying in bed.
“They have so much energy and I love seeing them live. Watching them and listening to their music always makes me happy.
“The doctors were very surprised but they wanted me to go.
“They knew the concert was keeping my spirits up and they even wrote that in their notes.
“My husband was pretty surprised as well, but he does know how much I love Jonathan and Edward.”
Juliet from Bishop’s Stortford, Herts., was so overcome with excitement she almost “danced herself to death” at the concert.
It meant she needed a wheelchair to get back to the airport.
The patient was diagnosed with nephritic syndrome as a child after an untreated infection went left her kidneys damaged.
She had a kidney transplant from an anonymous donor when she was 21 and lived a healthy life for 27 years.
But the organ started failing in November 2011 when she was 48 and doctors said she urgently needed a transplant.
After going several tests her husband Steve, 52, was found to be a match and the transplant operation was due to go ahead around July 7, 2012 – the date of the concert.
Surgeons at the Royal London Hospital then successfully carried out the transplant from her husband of 30-years three weeks after the gig.
IT manager Steve said: “I knew going to the concert was keeping her going so I supported her. I would definitely do it all again for her – if I had another spare kidney.”
Juliet, who has seen Jedward seven times so far, become hooked on them after being glued to Celebrity Big Brother in 2011 and bought all their albums.
After meeting them during a pantomime run in Dublin in December 2012, added: “They are really nice lads. I was so excited to meet them – it was brilliant.”
The hospital confirmed they had sufficient time to arrange for another patient to use the Barrable’s theatre slot.
Barts Health Renal Consultant Dr Raj Thuraisingham(corr) said: “This was certainly one of the more unusual requests we have received.
“There was no clinical risk to Juliet so we were very happy to support her decision to defer her transplant a little longer so that she could go to see Jedward.”
Sandra Currie, CEO of Kidney Research UK said: “Medical staff will have given advice around these individual circumstances. It is good to hear Juliet’s transplant has now been successful.”
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I do feel your opening paragraph and headline are somewhat misleading.
The plan was for Juliet’s husband to be the kidney donor all along.
At no point did she refuse to have the operation or turn down any other donated kidney, her consultant and the hospital fully supported her decision to go to the concert as a vital part of her treatment to keep her spirits up.
Keeping in mind there was no guarantee the transplant would be successful.
This should be a story of how Juliet bravely kept going and was inspired to try new things thanks to Jedward, despite her pretty much life long kidney problems. She had always had a fear of flying, but faced it to see Jedward in concert.
Well the rewrite is a slight improvement.
Anyway Juliet and I will have a super time on Jedward’s UK Tour in a few days time.
Hopefully we’ll both be well enough to go as we have both found Jedward concert fun to be the best medicine.
Also there is no way Juliet would ever call Jedward “Jonathan and Edward” since Jonathan isn’t JOHN’s name, it’s John. Think you guys might be the barmy and deluded ones tbh.
Far from being deluded and barmy, Juliet is a wonderful fan of JOHN and Edward, who love and appreciate her a great deal. There was no need to write that first paragraph.
Hmm what a shame your opening two paragraphs contradict themselves. You start by saying that Juliet’s husband was donating a kidney then say unless an organ donor could be found? Juliet, her family and her doctors all knew how serious her condition was and yet they supported her desire to go to a concert and scheduled the surgery around that. At no time did Juliet refuse a life saving operation and I’m sure she wouldn’t have if her consultant had told her not too.
I accompanied Juliet on this trip and believe me it was inspirational what she managed to achieve and put me – an able bodied healthy person – to shame. Everyone involved knew the risks, Juliet especially, and yet we all supported her decision as the concert was something to aim for and keep her going. Rather than spinning the story to demonstrate how delusional a superfan is why not highlight the inspirational element of it?
Also it’s John not Jonathon.