16306-2GAZETTE & HERALD: EVERY DAY Peter Cavaciuti and his family say a prayer for a woman they've never met a mother-of-two who saved his life when she donated her kidney.

It's hard to believe that just 13 years ago the burly builder was confined to a wheelchair and undergoing eight-hour dialysis sessions to keep him alive.

The father-of-four, from Larkham Rise, Chippenham, was on death's door suffering from an incurable kidney disease.

He had been on the transplant waiting list for a year-and-a-half and his wife Samantha had to give up work to look after him.

"I thought my time was up," he said. "I was convinced I wouldn't survive much longer."

But Mr Cavaciuti didn't give up hope, and in February 1992 he was given the news that a kidney had been found.

Elsewhere in the country, a mother-of-two in her 30s suffered a brain haemorrhage and died. She was an organ donor, and her kidney was destined to change Mr Cavaciuti's life.

"I can remember when the call came through," said the 36-year-old. "I was sitting in the bath. I was excited but tempered it with a bit of pessimism because they had to do a final cross match.

"I am so grateful," he said. "I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for her. That woman saved my life and I didn't even know her."

He has since written to her husband expressing his gratitude.

When he was 19 Mr Cavaciuti was diagnosed with kidney failure by total chance. He had been mugged outside Goldiggers and was having tests in hospital relating to a gash in his face when doctors discovered the abnormality.

Over the following few years, his illness became more serious and it wasn't long before he was gravely ill.

He underwent dialysis treatment three times a week and his muscles wasted away so badly that he could no longer walk and he lost feeling in his hands.

"Kidney affects people differently, but I felt I was slowly dying," said Mr Cavaciuti. "I really did think I was on my last legs. It was awful."

But after the hope of the life-changing operation came despair when his body and the new kidney rejected each other.

It was five long weeks before the transplant was hailed a success.

Now, instead of day-long dialysis treatment, Mr Cavaciuti takes a few tablets to keep his kidney working.

"It was like a miracle," he said. "I recovered so quickly and was soon out doing everyday things again."

Mr and Mrs Cavaciuti went on to have four children, Joseph, 11, Kelly, nine, Charlotte, seven, and Chloe, one-and-a-half and he started up his own carpentry business.

Mr Cavaciuti has now thrown his weight behind a new campaign to raise the profile of the organ register.

He said: "People are dying while they're waiting for a transplant every single day.

"It's all very well thinking someone else will do it or if you ever need an organ there will be one waiting but there might not be.

"Don't wait for it to happen to you."

For more information call the organ donor line on 0845 6060400 or log on to www.uktransplant.org.uk.