Schoolgirl Emily Bridges has finally been given a new kidney after a three-year hunt.

Mum Rachel of Sheppey said: "Doctors have said it will take a year for everything to settle but as soon as Emily woke up from the operation she said she felt better. It's fantastic."

Emily, 14, from of Dumergue Avenue, Queenborough, was struck down by the deadly E. coli virus while on holiday in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada in May 2016 and had to endure daily dialysis sessions.

It meant she was too ill to take up a place at Sittingbourne Community College.

Then friend Cordelia Morgan, the daughter of Rachel’s partner Robert, offered her own kidney. The transplant was originally planned for Tuesday, August 13, but had to be delayed until Tuesday, October 8.

Both are now recovering.

Cordelia, 21, from Princes Avenue, Minster, said: “I could see the strain on Emily and her family and went to be tested as a potential donor.

"After weeks of waiting, I came up as an almost perfect match despite not being related in any way. Emily was ecstatic and jumped up and down in the hospital when she heard. It was quite a moment.”

She said: "Emily’s nurses have said they had never seen a kidney adapt so quickly. All the readings for her bloods came back to normal in 24 hours. They said this usually takes a lot longer."

She added: "It left me in a lot of pain but it was worth it."

She went into the operating theatre at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, at 8am for a five hour operation. Emily was wheeled in at 1pm and came out at 4pm.

Mum Rachel said: "Emily looks so much better. Cordelia really has given her the gift of life. We can't thank her enough. She's a superstar."

Cordelia has been signed off from work for three months. Her boyfriend Reece Steadman said: "It was the longest week of my life while Cordelia was in hospital."

Emily has been discharged but is staying in a Ronald McDonald charity house near the hospital.

Her mum said: "Emily's blood pressure has normalised, coming down from 155 to 122. She has been taken off all machines and is eating and drinking normally.

"But it is still going to be a long and difficult recovery. Emily will need daily checks for the next three months so can't move too far away.

"Once it gets down to twice a week we may consider moving back home. But Emily will need monthly checks for the rest of her life."

Cordelia added: “I would encourage anyone to step forward to become a living donor to give someone a better quality of life. It really has been emotional. It was certainly a day I will never forget.”

Emily is a former pupil of Queenborough Primary School.

Doctors in Egypt initially diagnosed Emily had a stomach upset. But within 24 hours of landing in the UK her organs began to shut down and she was rushed to a London hospital.

It had been hoped Emily’s kidneys would recover but she continued to need dialysis and a £12,000-a-year cocktail of anti-immune drugs.

Last year when Emily showed signs of improvement doctors allowed her to go on holiday with her brother Harry, Cordelia and Mr Morgan’s son Elliott.

Cordelia said: “It allowed Emily to swim and take part in normal activities. But shortly after she came home, her health began to deteriorate again.”

She ended up back on dialysis at Evelina Children’s Hospital, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’.

To keep up-to-date with all the latest developments with your local hospitals and other health stories, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from the Isle of Sheppey