Former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor and wife Judi

Cricket commentator Mark Taylor was an Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988 to 1999 as well as a captain from 1994 to 1999 – regarded as a key component in Australia’s rise to Test cricket dominance.

Mark and Judi Taylor were personally touched by transplantation in March 2007 when Judi selflessly donated a kidney to her brother, John Matthews, of Grafton. John had suffered from Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease which ravaged his kidneys since his teenage years.

Mark said the transformation in his brother-in-law’s life had been nothing short of startling since Judi donated a kidney.

“John has gone from being tied to a dialysis machine eight hours a day, three days a week, back to his normal life,” said Mark, who was named Australian of the Year in 1999.

“Judi's decision has not only helped John but it has also had a far reaching effect on our family as everyone has experienced a new found joy in the sense of giving.”