From cuddling drug-addicted newborns in New York to transporting babies butchered by war across the world to save their lives, Moira Kelly has been a miracle worker for children for more than 30 years.
But now she says she has done one of the best things in a life studded with "miracles".
She has donated her own kidney to save the life of a child she had already saved 15 years ago.
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https://omny.fm/shows/neil-mitchell-asks-why/why-moira-kelly-gave-up-a-kidney-doing-what-she-lo/embed?style=cover&image=1&description=1&download=1&playlistImages=1&playlistShare=1&share=1&subscribe=1&background=f5f5f5&foreground=6d4d8f&highlight=6313bcMoira is best known because of four children, now adults, but she has saved hundreds and improved life for hundreds more.
Her most famous cases are Ahmed and Emmanuelle Kelly, she adopted them, and the conjoined twins from Bangladesh, Krishna and Trishna.
Moira rescued both boys in Iraq in an orphanage where they had effectively been abandoned. Both had suffered horrendous disfiguring limb injuries which needed urgent treatment.
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Now, Emmanuelle is a powerful and successful singer who performs with Coldplay on tour.
And Ahmed is a committed Paralympian and world record holder. He has silver medals but wants gold.
Both handle their continuing disabilities superbly.
The girls hold a very special place in the hearts of this country.
The public donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support their care.
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They were joined at the head, but after much discussion and even rehearsal of the operation, were successfully separated in 2009 at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.
It was a 30-hour operation led by neurosurgeon Wirginia Maixner.
The twins were born in a remote Bangladesh village and with such complex medical problems were taken for care to the city where Moira first met them.
When she brought them to Australia there was only a 25 per cent chance of survival.
Now they are 18, living with their birth mother and Moira in Melbourne.
Once again, Moira has stepped up to save the life of one of them.
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Speaking on the podcast "Neil Mitchell Asks Why" for the first time Moira has given details of the latest health challenge and what she did about it.
Krishna has had various health problems and special needs since they were separated, including compromised kidney function. Her sister, Trishna, is extremely protective of her and they are very close.
But in mid-2021 it hit hard.
"Unfortunately during Covid Krishie went into end-stage renal failure. It was the worst time of my life," Moira said.
"We were those people waiting for an ambulance for one, two hours. Krishie was in hospital every few weeks.
"So she needed a kidney transplant. They say only ten per cent of the population can be a donor so I got tested, became a live kidney donor, and donated my kidney to Krishna."
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The twins' birth mother Lovely was tested too, but was unable to donate. Moira did not hesitate:
"There is not a parent male or female, who wouldn't do what I did.
"I am so lucky, so lucky to be a donor. It is one of the best things I have done in my life.
"And I feel so proud, and so happy looking at her every day. She's the funniest, most beautiful thing on two legs. They have enriched my life so much."
The physical challenges for a live donor are often greater than the recipient, and Moira took longer to recover, spending six days in hospital. Krishna was quickly back to her cheeky self.
Moira understands kidney health. Her mother lived with one kidney. Regardless. This was an emotional and psychological battle too, which is why she has not made the donation public until now.
'There's a really important message here about live donation and donation after death. Families need to talk about it'
"I went up to the ward to see my little girl and just held her and just cried. It was a very special moment to see my little girl well.
"To see beautiful Krishie with this kidney and to think I've done something really good for her and her life is saved.
"We didn't have to wait for a deceased donor and now somebody else can get that donor's gift. I thank God every day."
Through her career Moira Kelly has seen much of the worst the world has to offer.
She has worked in the desperate poverty of Calcutta, lived for years in war zones like Bosnia, travelled across dangerous countries to help children, and cuddled the babies of drug addicts in the Bronx.
She has received countless Australian honours and awards. Her philosophy in life seems to be to act rather than think through what could go wrong, and to laugh a lot.
"Sometimes when Krishie's a bit naughty I will say to her 'you behave yourself…. I gave you a kidney'.
"Or somebody will ask where she is and I will say 'in the other room with my kidney'.
"Not many people can have those jokes."
I have known Moira for about 20 years and my radio audience helped with many of her projects.
I first met the twins days after they arrived, two little very sick bundles, joined at the head, lying in the same cot. It was sad, confronting, and frightening.
Moira remains fiercely protective of the twins, and shields them from publicity.
She can be tough, determined, and fights bureaucracy like a tethered bull if it stands in the way of helping children.
She can also be persuasive. Somehow, even she doesn't know how, she convinced the then Pope to pray for the girls when they had the separation surgery.
And, inevitably, there is always a message with Moira: "There's a really important message here about live donation and donation after death. Families need to talk about it.
"That's why I thought I would finally go public.
"I'm going great. Krishie is going great and it shows you can make a big difference in someone's life.
"You don't have to wait, guys. You've got a spare. Use your spare. That's what I say."
NEIL MITCHELL hosts the interview podcast "Neil Mitchell Asks Why?" which is posted each Tuesday and presents his analysis on the week's news on the podcast each Thursday.
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