KIDNEY transplant recipient Simon George s life was saved recently when his mother stepped in to give him one of her kidneys. Now, Simon, 39, who runs Thames Translations in Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, is on a rescue mission of his own.

KIDNEY transplant recipient Simon George's life was saved recently when his mother stepped in to give him one of her kidneys.

Now, Simon, 39, who runs Thames Translations in Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, is on a rescue mission of his own. Businessman Simon has mounted a rescue package to save a regional business magazine from closure.

He has kept on two salespeople from the Hertfordshire Business Independent (HBI) and appointed a new editorial team to help bring advice and information to business owners in Hertfordshire.

Simon, who lives with his wife Sally and their two daughters in Harpenden, will be running the magazine from the same premises as his translation agency.

He is also engaged in providing networking opportunities for business people in the district and is organising the Big Event at The Fielder Conference Centre at the University of Hertfordshire on March 4.

Simon was first diagnosed with kidney disease four years ago and would have gone to the bottom of a very long queue if his mother had not volunteered as a donor.

Initially his father Graham was going to donate a kidney but medical checks revealed that he had prostate cancer and was rushed into hospital for an emergency eight-hour operation just before Christmas last year.

Fortunately Simon's mother Jenny was a perfect match and both recovered well after the kidney transplant in May last year at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.