By Chelsea Boyle
Former Wairarapa MP and Carterton mayor Georgina Beyer has only one resolution in mind for the New Year ahead — to stay healthy enough to have her upcoming kidney transplant.
“Nothing else moves forwards unless that happens,” Ms Beyer said.
“And things are looking good as far as that is concerned.”
The world’s first transsexual mayor, caught the attention of the nation a few months ago when news broke of her planned transplant and when she shared some of the personal difficulties she had faced after her career in parliament ended.
She was first diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2013 and then had to absorb a second blow when she was diagnosed with heart disease earlier in 2016, but said she finished off the year in better shape.
“I wound up the year in a much better state than I was, say, four months ago,” Ms Beyer said.
“We are back on track for a kidney transplant.”
Ms Beyer will be going to Auckland next month for her first assessment.
A transplant date is yet to be confirmed but she is hoping the date will fall sometime in March or April.
“I responded well to the treatment that we had to do for the heart issue, and everything that arose, and that is substantially improved, if not almost back to normal.
“It was nothing short of a miracle frankly.
“Everyone was surprised we had an improvement within the first few months of trying the new treatment and it worked brilliantly.”
She said she was incredibly grateful for all the support she had received from people in Wairarapa.
“A lot of people from Wairarapa sent me their good wishes and good will,” she said.
Their kind words and support had been half the medicine, she said.
“It’s part of the thing that keeps you going.
“It means an awful lot.
“I am very grateful for all the interest people have shown, particularly in Wairarapa.”
Ms Beyer said she had been “under the radar” for so long she would have thought Wairarapa people would have forgotten her by now but that has not been so.
