Bride-to-be Julie received her dad Bob’s kidney 10 years ago, but her body slowly began to reject the organ.
Her health became so bad three months ago that she collapsed just days before her wedding, forcing the heartbroken bride to cancel the big day.
Everything was arranged, from the wedding cake to chilled champagne, and guests had arrived from around the world only to be told the wedding was off.
But now Julie will finally walk down the aisle, and her mum Carol is set to give her daughter a unique wedding present – a replacement kidney.
Doctors say Julie’s best chance of long-term health is for her to have the transplant with her mother.
Julie, 32, from Washington, said: “There’s a much better chance of a match with family members. Without my mum I could have probably ended up on waiting lists for months and months.
“It’s been emotional. There’s been a few tears, there always has.
“What they will normally do when this happens is leave the first kidney in. If it’s doing no harm and not causing any infection I will have both my mum’s and my dad’s kidney.
“I think the rest of the family are getting a bit worried they could be next. My brother Graeme has a family of his own, but I always said right from the start I would never expect him to have to help.”
Carol, 54, said: “It’s early days but I am going through the tests. The conditions are favourable. We’re just hoping everything will go to plan and there will be no side-effects.”
Since her first transplant, Julie has needed regular hospital check-ups and has dialysis three times a week.
It was during a routine appointment two days before her wedding day in May that Julie took a turn for the worse.
The big day was planned for a Sunday afternoon, but by the Friday morning it became clear Julie would be in no fit state to walk down the aisle.
Best man Alec Linsley, who worked tirelessly to help the couple through the two-day ordeal, said: “She went into hospital as normal, but started having a fit. We were devastated and worried about the whole weekend.”
But now the two families are celebrating after the hotel, DJ, band, registrar and caterers all agreed to postpone the occasion free of charge.
Julie and Mark Robson will finally tie the knot next Sunday in a plush ceremony at Slaley Hall hotel in Hexham, Northumberland.
Julie’s father Bob, 55, said: “It’s the first glimmer of hope we’ve had in a long while.
“We tried a different kind of dialysis where you do it at home, but she wasn’t compatible with that in the end.
“There are lots of little tests that still need doing, but the beauty of another transplant is she will be able to have a completely normal life again.”
Julie said: “For the wedding I thought the best thing was just not to change anything this time.