The 27-year-old Dunedin resident’s kidney function was as low as 5% before she underwent a kidney transplant late last year.
The operation was made possible by the paired kidney exchange programme — her brother, Nathan Beer, donated a kidney to an anonymous match, while she received one from someone else in the scheme.
Miss Beer said the donation had given her more energy than she had had in years.
"I’m really good. I haven’t had any signs of rejection yet."
The former Northern Southland Pony Club senior coach was finally able to get back into horse riding, a lifelong passion put mostly on hold over the past four and a-half years.
In 2019, she was struck with meningitis septicemia and spent three weeks fighting for her life in intensive care.
The disease had caused ongoing health issues.
For almost two years afterwards she had been unable to walk. Her lower right leg was amputated in 2021.
It also caused the loss of her spleen and chronic kidney disease.
"When I was on dialysis, I was so tired all the time. If I wanted to go ride or go for a walk, I would be down for three days.
"I’d have to rest, sleep, do nothing for three days and just be so exhausted.
"Now I feel almost back to completely normal."
She and her brother had always been close. Although her mother had also volunteered to donate a kidney through the programme, he had been a better match for another person in the donation chain.
When her leg was amputated, the first scheduled date was cancelled at the last minute, so she had learned not to get her hopes up.
However, her kidney operation went ahead as planned.
The immediate recovery period took several weeks and although she was not allowed to talk about it on social media, she received plenty of support.
She was now looking forward rather than backwards and attributed her positive approach to her rural upbringing on a Southland farm.
"It’s ingrained to just get on with it and keep moving on to the next thing."
While she had been riding on and off for the past few seasons, it was only now that her health was allowing her able to get back into it properly.
She had taken part in dressage competitions recently.
"I’m hoping to keep going forward with that ... It’s all about getting the fitness back."
The season had ended, so it would be September before she could get into it again.
She hoped one day she could meet her dream of competing in the Paralympics.
In the shorter term, she hoped to ride in the South Island para-dressage competitions in Christchurch next year and eventually compete nationally.
