By Dan Parkinson BBC News

Kenzi has made a quick recovery from her kidney transplant

This year she will be able to open her presents like any other healthy four-year-old thanks to a special gift from her father.

Preston Quinn donated one of his kidneys to his daughter in July after her rare kidney disease resulted in complications.

The transplant proved a success and Kenzi is now preparing for her first Christmas free from dialysis.

Her mother, Jill Graham, 36, said: "Kenzi is doing great. She's so much more energetic now. In the past she was on dialysis for most of the day.

"She could never enjoy Christmas properly but this year should be very different."

'Longest day'

Kenzi suffers from polycystic kidney disease, a condition where fluid-filled cysts gradually replace normal kidney tissue, in many cases eventually causing the kidneys to fail.

The family, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, hit the headlines last Christmas when Preston, 34, made a desperate appeal for a kidney donor to come forward to help Kenzi.

He was the only suitable donor doctors had found, but he wanted to save the one kidney he could give in case it was needed for his other daughter, who also had the disease.

Three-year-old Kori's condition is controlled by medication but there is a possibility it could deteriorate.

Kenzi's quality of life diminished after she suffered complications

Then at the beginning of the summer Kenzi developed peritonitis - an inflammation of the abdomen - which meant she could no longer have dialysis at home.

She instead had to travel to hospital five days a week and was limited to just 350ml of water each day.

Her mother said that during a summer of record-breaking temperatures, Kenzi became so desperate for fluids that she drank dirty dishwater.

"Her stomach swelled up over the summer and it turned out she had been sneaking drinks," Jill said.

"She had been drinking dishwater. It was really, really difficult. She couldn't cope and her standard of life was not good."

In the end Kenzi began to suffer so much that oil rig worker Preston decided he could wait no longer and went ahead with the transplant.

The operation took place on 27 July, Kenzi's birthday, with father and daughter at separate hospitals three miles apart in Newcastle.

I burst into tears after the transplant was over because it had been so nerve-wracking Jill Graham

Jill said it was the longest day of her life and she shed tears of happiness when the operation was completed successfully.

"I was just so overjoyed," she said.

"Friends stayed with Preston while I stayed with Kenzi. There was no way I was leaving her.

"She was so brave. I burst into tears after the transplant was over because it had been so nerve-wracking. I was glad when it was all over."

After surgery, however, doctors discovered the new kidney was putting pressure on Kenzi's bowel and she had to be taken back into intensive care.

She underwent a second session of surgery, her parents enduring an agonising wait to find out if the procedure had been successful.

Princess

Eventually she made a full recovery and has now started at a local school - something she was unable to do before.

Jill and Preston are now looking forward to seeing their daughters playing together at Christmas for the first time.

"We are going to really enjoy ourselves. It will be our first real Christmas as a family," said Jill.

"Kenzi is into princesses at the moment and so Father Christmas might bring her lots of princess clothes to dress up in.