Tonight on Sunday ` the ultimate Christmas gift. She's gonna walk in here in` in a minute` > Yeah. The giver ` ...with your kidney. ...and the receiver. This must be a really really amazing person to do this. An emotionally charged first meeting. I'll show you mine if you show me yours. I'll show you mine if you show me yours. BOTH LAUGH 'Tis the season... to be silly. CAMERA FLASHES Now, are men more unfaithful than women? Christmas shenanigans. Busted. > Busted. > Totally busted. # Ave... Uh, I think I'm just a kid, just a typical kid. With a pretty good voice. With a pretty good voice. Aw. (GIGGLES) A songbird called Jessie. # ...Maria. # Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. It's the ultimate gift ` life itself. And the present went to a completely stranger. Now, Gill Buckley wanted to donate one of her kidneys in the hope it would save a life. But she didn't know who the kidney was going to or how successful that donation would be... until now. Here's John Hudson. So much joy, so much gratitude all at the same time. GENTLE COUNTRY MUSIC Ilona Tu is loving life with her new kidney ` a kidney donated by a perfect stranger. She's gonna walk in here in` in a minute. > Yeah, she is. With your kidney. With your kidney. Yes. It's going to be exciting. Gill Buckley is the woman who donated that kidney, but it's only now the two women are about to meet. Not nervous at all? No, no. I can't quite believe it myself. Five months ago Gill gave the gift of life. It's just something I feel really compelled to do. It makes me feel happy. What are the risks for you? The fact my remaining kidney could fail and I would end up on dialysis myself; that I could die during the operation. Surgeons at Auckland Hospital transplanted one of her kidneys. All Gill knew then was it was going to someone who desperately needed it. Well, they've told me that I would be happy to know who it is and that they're a good person. Her altruistic donation wasn't without sacrifice. She underwent months of testing before being approved as a donor. For ethical reasons Gill wasn't told who would receive her kidney. When I found out that you could just give to a stranger, it was perfect. Do you have a burning passion to meet the person who ends up with your kidney? It would be nice to know how they recover and how they get on and what difference it's made to their life, but I don't have to meet them. It all really happened really fast. And I was really really scared as well because, you know... We now know 34-year-old Ilona is the woman who received Gill's kidney ` Good boy. ...an operation that may well have saved her life. Two years ago Ilona went to hospital with swollen legs. Basically, I went in on Thursday. By Friday I had a biopsy on my kidneys. And by Saturday I was already on dialysis. She had vasculitis ` an inflammatory disease that destroys blood vessels. I was having plasma transfusions. I was undergoing chemotherapy. Then they said, 'No, you're going to need a transplant.' Ilona became one of 700 NZers on dialysis, many waiting for a donor kidney. So they said, you know, 'Your minimum waiting time is about five years while you're on the list.' So I thought, 'Wow, that's quite a long time to wait,' and so, you know, at that point I didn't have much hope. Then last Christmas she was told she had end-stage renal failure. Ilona went public asking for a kidney donation. And then the call that changed her life. I remember screaming on the phone, and people at work going, 'What's wrong?' I said, 'They've found a kidney for me.' I never ever in my wildest dreams thought that it would happen so soon. Gill's kidney was a near-perfect match. So in June this year when Gill was waiting for surgery, Ilona was just metres away in the next ward. Total strangers about to exchange vital body parts. It's just almost a bit too big to think that something from me inside of here has helped keep another person alive. I always thought, you know, this must be a really really amazing person to, you know, to do this. Hi. How are you? Here's the star. 'The surgery was successful; the recovery painful.' Quite sore, but good, yeah. POP! And within a month Gill was celebrating her good health with friends. ALL: Cheers. Come on, Jiggy. Come on. Ilona was recovering as well. My energy levels have significantly increased since` since I've had the transplant. You know, just overall feeling really really energetic, really really healthy. When you were lying in recovery, did you think about whose kidney you had inside you? I did. And I was actually concerned also about the donor, thinking like, you know, 'Are they OK? Are they, you know, recovering really well?' Would you give a body organ to a total stranger? And when Ilona saw our Sunday programme in August, she started wondering. I had a strong suspicion that she was my donor. And I actually found her Facebook page, and she said, 'Oh, I had my surgery about five weeks ago.' And it's like I was thinking... I was like, 'Hey, that overlaps with me.' (CHUCKLES) Medical ethics prevent hospitals revealing the identities of transplant patients. But Gill and Ilona connected on their own. I saw this message from this lady saying, like, 'I think I'm your donor.' I was taken aback, but seeing who it was from I thought, 'I was right all along. She is my donor.' I just really wanted to get the message through that` that I didn't feel like I was owed anything, so I didn't want her to feel obligated to me. What do I answer? And just keep thinking, like, say thank you, and thank you, and thank you, and to me it just seemed like it was never enough. From Facebook to face-to-face. Ilona now wants to express her gratitude in person. How you feeling? How you feeling? All right. Yeah? No butterflies down there? Yeah? No butterflies down there? No. No. Should be good, eh? Should be good, eh? Yep. Hello. It is so nice to meet you. BOTH LAUGH BOTH LAUGH These are happy tears. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you cry. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you cry. That's all right. How are you? How are you? I'm good. I get the sense that you both think that it's been really worthwhile? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, most definitely. Yeah. Oh, most definitely. Yeah. You hear people say, 'Oh, you saved my life,' and so on and so forth, but, you know, literally she saved my life. Within minutes, Gill and Ilona are acting like old friends. Cos I was like, 'Is Gill my donor?' And they were like, 'We're not allowed to tell you.' I think they knew we were eventually going to meet, but they just weren't sure that it would happen so soon. But I'm glad it did. Their bodies tell the story ` the lasting memory of what they went through alone, and now together. I'll show you mine if you show me yours. I'll show you mine if you show me yours. BOTH LAUGH To tell you the truth, the day that we were gonna meet, I was so so nervous and excited at the same time thinking that, you know, I'm finally gonna get to say thank you in person. Does it feel like your kidney or Gill's kidney? When I'm at home, it's, like, yes, it is my kidney, but, you know, when I was sitting next to her when we first met, as I said to her, I said, 'I almost feel selfish saying that it's my kidney, when you're sitting right there.' Ilona's now back doing many of the things she loves. And the other good news ` a baby might be on the cards. Without Gill's kidney would you have been able to consider pregnancy? No. Um, based` based on what I was told at the time, I-I don't think I would have tried for it. Because the doctors did say, you know, 'Chances of you becoming pregnant are almost non-existent.' Then not only did she give you your life back, but she also gave you the potential to become a mother ` a second life. a second life. Yes, yes, definitely, it's` Yeah, it's amazing how many, you know, more opportunities and doors that this has opened for me. Do you think you and Gill will become friends for life? Oh, I most certainly do think so. (LAUGHS) I mean how-how can you not? I mean, you know, she's given me a whole new lease on life. (SNIFFS) She'll forever be a part of me. GENTLE MUSIC Well, more good news. Less than six months after their surgeries, both are fighting fit. Next ` mistletoe misbehaviour. WHIMSICAL MUSIC CAMERA FLASHES Busted. > Busted. > Totally busted. So, the Christmas rush is on for the partygoers, for shoppers, and it's also a very busy time for... private detectives. Because amid the season of parties, presents and Christmas cheer lies the temptation of illicit romance. This from Ian Sinclair. WHIMSICAL MUSIC Christmas ` 'tis the season of giving. But some, it seems, are giving a little more than they should. We have a huge spike at Christmas time. It's incredible how much you notice you just get slowly busier and busier. And especially now when the Christmas parties are in full swing. Love rats, cheaters ` call them what you will, it's all good business for Julia Hartley Moore. Where are you? She heads a team of private investigators. MAN: A guy approaching a car at the moment. How many people have you got on the case, then? How many people have you got on the case, then? About six at the moment. All busy? > All busy? > Yes, all busy. All busy. Sitting in car parks, actually. Looks like she's about to drive off. Now, are men more unfaithful than women? No. No, men just aren't as clever as women when it comes to cheating. Women` Just as many women betray as men do. It's just that it's the way they do it. But if they conceal it so well, how would you know this? Because most of the clients we have are having affairs with married women. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC Last year we had a Christmas case where we've got a woman ` she was in her early 50s ` married to a very wealthy businessman. What alerted the client was he did notice in her lingerie drawer and saw this amazing lingerie. And it was very expensive lingerie. And he thought, 'Gosh, that's odd. I've not seen this.' So he got us to watch her. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC She went to a car park. My poor investigator thought, 'What a boring time sitting in the car, 'watching someone get their groceries.' But a young man got in her car. She took him home, spent an hour with him, took him back to the car park, went to another grocery store car park, picked up another guy, drove him back to their place, spent an hour with him, took him back to his car park and repeated this four times in one afternoon. So she was on the game? Essentially, yeah. When you told the husband, what did he do? Well, he actually had her bags packed and on the driveway before she could even` had time to deny it. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC I had a case not so long ago where a wife's husband had gone overseas, and it was in November, just before Christmas, and she saw a pair on the bill of Miu Miu shoes. And those are very expensive Italian shoes. And she was ecstatic cos she'd been wanting them for ages. But, you see, Christmas came and went, and she never got her Miu Miu shoes. And a few months after Christmas, when everyone's back at work, she went into her husband's office, and she noticed on his secretary's desk was this lovely picture of the secretary wearing these exquisite Miu Miu shoes. Busted. Totally busted. So what did she do about it? She stayed. (CHUCKLES) She stayed with him. Do men and women react the same to being betrayed? No, they don't. Men` Men, it's from` A man, it's a pride thing. If he's been betrayed, he takes it` I mean, women take it personally, too, but far deeper` a man takes it far more deeply, I think, feels it more deeply, in that he feels this huge sense of betrayal. His pride has been betrayed. And that's why a man can just go. He can just cut the cord and go. Pack the bags, shove them out on the street and say, 'That's it, lady. You're gone.' Whereas for a woman, only` we only find that 5% of women leave. Why do these women tend to stay? The one thing they think about is, 'What will it look like? How will I be perceived?' Social standing, kids going to private school, overseas trips. They look at all that and they think, 'How do I do this on my own?' They don't realise they can do it on their own. When they find out they've been cheated on, do people take revenge? It's the women that seem to have this revenge thing. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC And in this case the husband who was playing around had a heart attack. And he was` We had discovered he was in a relationship for at least 10, 15 years. It was essentially a double life. Now, his wife was absolutely horrified. But she couldn't tell him what she knew because he was so ill. And then he died. And she was more annoyed at the fact that he died without her telling him what she knew. So his wish was to be buried at sea ` you know, cremated and buried at sea. And so she had him cremated, and she had the pot sitting in the house. A few months went past, and the kids came home, and they said, 'Look, Mum, you know, we know what Dad's done, and we don't approve of it, 'but you've gotta remember he was our dad. So we would like to honour his wishes.' And she said, 'You're right.' So she got up, she got the pot, she walked up the passage, she went into the bathroom, she tipped him into the toilet, she pressed flush, and she said, 'He'll get there eventually.' TOILET FLUSHES Ouch! OK, so be careful what you wish for, maybe. In a moment, Jessie. # Ave Maria... < Do you see yourself as special? < Do you see yourself as special? Uh, I think I'm just a kid, just typical kid. # Maria. # That could be a simple mistake. Or a deliberate move for a long-term advantage. Or a deliberate move for a long-term advantage. Perhaps. But, no, you're someone who plans ahead. I'm thinking you don't make a move unless you've thought things through. And if you don't have an answer, you'll find someone who does. Make the right move. Ask how the ANZ KiwiSaver scheme can help you achieve your long-term goals. Nice move. She's cute, she's sweet and funny, and she's a star. This 12-year-old Wellington schoolgirl has just outsung Bruno Mars and Pink on NZ music charts. Pete Cronshaw with Jessie Hillel. (PLAYS GUITAR) PERCUSSION PLAYS In the hustle and bustle of downtown Wellington... # They sing so loud, they don't know how. # ...it's easy to miss this pint-sized diva. Have you ever... busked before? No, I've never busked, yeah. No, I've never busked, yeah. Never done it? No, I've never busked, yeah. Never done it? Never done it. With a voice like yours, you could make a fortune. With a voice like yours, you could make a fortune. Aw, thank you. Keen for a go? Keen for a go? Yeah. Yeah. Why not? At just 12 years old, Jessie Hillel is too young to be called a teenage sensation,... # Wishing you were somehow # near again. ...but there is no denying this cute, starry-eyed kid... # somehow near. ...has a remarkable voice,... # Sometimes it seemed # if I just dreamed, # somehow you'd be here. # ... even if she does struggle to be heard over the throng of the city streets. APPLAUSE It's just nice, even if one person stops and everyone else is, like, booing, it's nice for that` just for that one person to just appreciate what you are doing. Would you do it again? Would you do it again? Yeah, of course I would. That's so much fun. But I do need a mic. And a tin for the money. (LAUGHS) Can you hear me, Jessie? Can you hear me, Jessie? Yep. Fame and fortune are big motivators for some,... Just go ahead and sing at me a wee bit, Jessie. I'll get some levels on you. ...but this little girl with the big voice just loves to sing. # Maria... # < Do you see yourself as special? < Do you see yourself as special? Uh, I think I'm just a kid, just a typical kid. With a pretty good voice? Oh. (LAUGHS) The truth be known... # We sailed north and south and east and west around the Irish Sea. # ...Jessie has been singing, entertaining and wooing crowds since the age of 3. (SINGS) I just want to be a singer. I just want to be a singer. Yeah. APPLAUSE Hi, darling. What's your name? Hi, darling. What's your name? I'm Jessie Hillel. Just over a year ago the little girl with the big voice became a national sensation. # Pie Jesu. Wow. Wow. # Pie Jesu. # APPLAUSE, CHEERING Jessie didn't win, but she caught the eye of the recording industry and soon put out her own album. Looking at the charts this morning ` number 10, Bruno Mars; number nine, Pink; number five, Jessie Hillel. Isn't that incredible? number five, Jessie Hillel. Isn't that incredible? That is pretty cool. When it comes to performing and promoting, this little girl has poise and professionalism way beyond her years. What advice would you have for a young person listening to the radio this morning going, 'Man, I wanna be like Jessie'? 'Man, I wanna be like Jessie'? If you really enjoy music, you should continue doing it. Never ever give up, no matter what anybody says. < How old are you again? < How old are you again? I'm 11. < You're more sensible than I am; I'm 46. It's crazy. < You're more sensible than I am; I'm 46. It's crazy. (LAUGHS) Do you see her voice as a gift? > Do you see her voice as a gift? > Yes, I think so. Uh, yes, definitely. Jessie might be the family's headline act, but big sister Julie is always there to accompany her on the piano. BOTH SING: You can count on me... Is she the best sister in the world? Is she the best sister in the world? At times. (GASPS) Take two. (GIGGLES) (GIGGLES) < Is she the best sister in the world? (GASPS) Too slow. Take three. Is she the best sister in the world? Is she the best sister in the world? What do you want me to say? Is she the best sister in the world? What do you want me to say? (GASPS) Take four! < Is she the best sister in the world? < Is she the best sister in the world? Yeah, right, yeah. I got there in the end. BOTH VOCALISE Did you just break a string? That is the first time this has ever happened. Are you recording this? That is the first time this has ever happened. Are you recording this? (LAUGHS) GENTLE MUSIC You like these things? You like these things? Not 'these things'! You like these things? Not 'these things'! What? In many respects Jessie is just a typical kid, albeit outspoken. Hey, so, Jessie, does my thing have a name? Hey, so, Jessie, does my thing have a name? Your 'thing'. It's not a thing! (CHUCKLES) Does my pony have a name? It's not even a pony. What is it? What is it? It's a horse. What is it? It's a horse. Right. And it's a she. She's a she. She's a she. It's just when it comes to singing, the show pony's more driven than most. They're not as cool as motorbikes. They're not as cool as motorbikes. What?! They're not as cool as motorbikes. What?! (LAUGHS) Has she been pushed into singing? No. Uh, she-she started it all. So she's pushing you? So she's pushing you? I think so. (LAUGHS) At the moment, yes. You get the feeling failure isn't an option for this little girl. # When you're weary... Unhappy with her first attempt at busking we returned with a mic and an amp to give this tiny diva a second shot. # When darkness comes... And that magic voice proved a crowd stopper. #... pain is all around. # Like a bridge over troubled waters. < What makes Jessie special? < What makes Jessie special? I dunno. I'm just Jessie. I just wanna be a singer. # ...a bridge over troubled waters. # Do you see yourself as a star now? Well, I just, you know, just keep singing and hope people keep on enjoying it. Thank you. Thank you. APPLAUSE Thank you. Isn't the smile magic? Hey, that's us for 2013. Do have a wonderful Christmas, and we'll see you in the new year. Nga mihi nui, nga mihi mahana, pomarie. # ...could ever know. # Make my wish come true, ooh. # All I want for Christmas # is you. # Thank you.