A WOMAN who was told she could not donate a kidney to her son has raised more than £1,600 for the hospital team who looked after him.

Andrea Bailey, 33, from Guisborough, was devastated when doctors told her earlier this year that an antibody would prevent her from giving her 12-year-old son, Mark, one of her kidneys - even though her own mother, Kath Bailey, 52, had donated him a kidney when he was two.

"I felt so frustrated that my Mum could help him but I couldn't and I just had to do something myself," she said. "So I decided to run the Great North Run.

"I wanted to raise money for the Royal Victoria Infirmary's Children's Renal Team in Newcastle where Mark's been going since he was two. It's like a second home to us now."

Andrea raised more than £1,600 for the team which has looked after Mark since renal failure was detected ten years ago.

In March 2000, Andrea was told Mark had had renal failure for the second time. After three years of waiting Mark had another transplant in June this year.

"Before the transplant Mark was taking 36 tablets a day and had to have injections every night and was really tired all the time," Andrea said.

"But since the transplant he's had so much more energy and can enjoy sport again.

"He's very outgoing and nothing bothers him. He never complains."

Andrea said she could not believe the generosity of complete strangers while she was fundraising for the Great North Run.

"I'd really like to thank everyone but especially The Kings Head in Guisborough which raised £555 and Hazel Mathewman who raised more than £200 for me," she said.