“I wanted to share my kidney donation story to help build awareness of the good that we all can do to help someone worse off.”
I donated one of my kidneys in January 2024.
One day I got talking to one of my clients at the skin clinic where I work, who told me that her stepdaughters both suffered from a hereditary kidney disease and needed dialysis to live. I had trained as a nurse and spent some time on a dialysis ward, so I understood the reality of what it meant to live with kidney disease and rely on a dialysis machine to survive. I had known about living kidney donation, but had never really considered doing it myself until hearing her story. It planted that seed in my head.
I didn’t say anything to her in the moment, but gave it a lot more thought after she left. I can be quite an impulsive person, so for something as important as this I wanted to give myself time to consider everything. I’m lucky enough to have had no real health scares. If I was able to live a healthy life with just one kidney and my spare could go to someone in need, then why not?
I spoke to my dad about it too, who was really supportive. My husband was definitely more worried for my own safety, but after we talked it through he understood why I wanted to do it.
About a week later I emailed her saying I’d given it more thought, and I wanted to put myself forward to donate to whichever stepdaughter was the better match for my kidney.
Initially they thought I was bonkers! We arranged to go for a coffee to chat everything through in more detail. She got me the contact details for the Brighton medical team, so I contacted them and started the process.
After that, I just went along with the flow of it all and did as I was told. I think my medical background helped me to understand the reasons why they needed to check everything, so I never really had any questions. All in all the tests took around 12 months, from me first contacting the team to getting to the donation stage.
After a few months, I was told that I was a near perfect match for Tess, one of the daughters! Her father gave me her number and we met up. She was really lovely, but it was also clear that they still didn’t believe anything would actually happen from it. She told me that she been on the transplant list for 3 years before I offered to donate. It just made me want to donate even more, as long as the tests showed that I was able to.
The operation itself all went according to plan – there’s so much build up but the day itself felt like it flew by! Unfortunately after the operation I had some abnormal swelling from the anaesthetic and a damaged lymph node, so I had to be readmitted to check that everything had recovered properly.
The team at Guys were great and thoroughly checked everything, it turned out I had what is known as a Chyle leak. The first line of treatment for a chyle leak is a special diet that include 0% fat in able for my body to heal the leak by itself, not quite the indulgent diet of treats and Netflix I had planned for recovery but I sure made up for it as within a few weeks the leak had healed and no long term health issues. Even if I knew this hiccup would have happened I definitely still would have gone ahead with the surgery even if I knew this was going to happen afterwards.
Other than that, the recovery wasn’t too bad. I was determined to rest up as best I could so that I could be up and about again as quickly as possible.
I’d say it took around 4 weeks before I really felt back to my usual self, but since then I haven’t felt any different at all. I still get a check up once a year to make sure everything’s fine, which is a great safety net just to know is there, but I’ve never had any issues.
Since she received my spare kidney, Tess has been doing really well. We keep in touch all the time and recently met up for the 1 year anniversary. She has two young boys – she told me that she used to feel vacant with them and always exhausted because of her damaged kidneys, but now she’s able to enjoy life to the fullest with her family. Going for walks, being able to play without needing to rest afterwards, going swimming, having more time for them now she’s not needing dialysis. Not only has my gift given her so much life but also the effect for the whole family being able to enjoy making memories together and living life to the fullest!
I can’t stress enough how little my day-to-day life has changed since my operation. I was in a bit of pain and uncomfortable for a few weeks, yes, but what Tess has gained outweighs that massively. I’m honoured to have gained a relationship with Tess from this, but that’s just a bonus to knowing I changed someone’s life with something my body wasn’t using. It’s been worth it.
“It’s amazing how a small amount of inconvenience on my part can make such a huge difference to someone else.”
Read20 years ago, David's enthusiasm for life was put to the test when he found out his kidneys were failing and he would need a transplant.
ReadAisha is determined to raise awareness of living kidney donation and encourage more people in South Asian communities to consider donating.
Read"My husband was living on dialysis, and I saw the constant reality of what that meant for him."
Read"I set myself clear goals to return to fitness and running after my kidney donation."
Read"This is me, Louise Sach, shortly after I was diagnosed with chronic renal failure."
Read"It has now been over a year since my donation. I have zero pain or discomfort, and I am entirely back to normal with nothing but a scar to remind me of my experience."
ReadRachel already knew more than she wanted to about the process of kidney donation before she gave her spare kidney to someone she didn’t know.
ReadHenry donated a kidney to his sister Helen, and has seen first-hand the difference a donation can make for someone with kidney disease.
Read“It has made absolutely no difference to my day-to-day life. My mum, however, has a life like never before.”
ReadNaomi knew she wanted to donate a kidney after learning about kidney disease and reality of life on dialysis.
ReadEmma donated her kidney to a stranger eight years ago after first seeing a story about non-directed donation on TV four years previously.
ReadJoyce thought that she was too old to donate a kidney, before learning there was no upper age limit for donating.
ReadMandy donated one of her kidneys to her younger cousin Lou, who was diagnosed with kidney problems when she was two years old.
Read"I don’t consider myself to be a hero or brave. I just did what I was brought up to do – to help others."
ReadJulie worked hard to stay fit and healthy while she was preparing to donate a kidney to her nephew.
Read"At the beginning it seemed like a difficult decision to make, but since the operation I don’t have any regrets."
ReadTessa believes that donating a kidney to a stranger is one of the best decisions she's ever made.
ReadLynn was 75 when she donated a kidney altruistically. "I knew I wanted to do it if I was capable of doing so."
Read“You don’t need to be a superhero, you don’t need to be a mega star of any sort. It’s something that normal people just like me can do."
ReadLaura knew she would donate a kidney to her sister if she needed it. When the time came, she found the process absolutely worth it.
ReadMatt's dream of joining the police was shattered by an unexpected diagnosis of kidney disease, but his mother's kidney donation allowed him to thrive and pursue new dreams.
Read"I've learnt a lot about myself and my own health – I would do it again in a heartbeat (if I had another kidney to spare!)"
Read"I believe that if you are in a position to help someone else less fortunate than yourself, then you should do so."
ReadEvery kidneyversary deserves a celebration, but in 2024 Elaine marked a particularly poignant milestone – 10 years since she donated a kidney to her eldest daughter.
Read"I feel immeasurably better in myself knowing I have been able to give my brother the gift of a healthy life."
ReadDennis is keen to show people that you can still live your life as normal and achieve great things after donating a kidney.
ReadWhen Ali heard that a former colleague was waiting for a kidney transplant, he knew within minutes that he would offer one of his.
Read"My mum needed a kidney, and I didn’t need both of mine. When I heard that, I didn't have any hesitation."
ReadKathryn faced life-changing kidney failure after being diagnosed with the rare disease, IgA vasculitis.
ReadMarianne has seen first hand the benefits that kidney donation can bring to a family, and feels blessed that she was able to donate a kidney to her brother.
ReadBen felt drained by kidney disease for over 12 years before his cousin gave him a second chance at life by donating his kidney.
ReadJulie donated to her son and knows first hand that donating an organ doesn’t just save a person. It saves a family.
ReadAnne donated into the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme so that her brother could receive a kidney transplant.
Read"Within both the Jain and Hindu faiths benevolence to others is supposed to be a key principle. What could be a greater act of benevolence than transforming someone’s life by giving them part of yourself?"
Read"If I had more Kidneys to give, I'd be donating to anyone who needed one."
ReadTrainee teacher Mark is grateful for the life-saving kidney transplant from his brother that put him back on track for life and his career.
ReadSheldon & Hayley watched their daughter Daisy-May go from a shock diagnosis of kidney failure to dialysis, then transplant, in an emotional rollercoaster lasting 16 months.
ReadMy donor gave me a life to live for. I have done things I had never considered doing whilst on dialysis.
Read"If I had another kidney to spare, I would donate in a heartbeat. It was life changing for my husband, and for me as a person."
ReadDavid is just an average Joe. A motorcycling, 54-year-old father and grandfather. And 6 years ago, he donated one of his kidneys to someone who needed it more than he did.
Read40 years ago, Kathleen donated one of her kidneys to Cheryl, who was just five years old at the time.
Read"Giving a small part of me that I didn’t need to someone else would make little difference in my life, but a huge difference in theirs – it was an easy decision for me to make."
ReadLiz's family struggled at first with her determination to donate her kidney to someone unrelated to her.
Read"I donated a kidney to my dad 10 years ago, aged 25. To me, it was a no brainer."
ReadSarah had seen the life-changing difference donating a kidney could have, and immediately knew it was something she wanted to do.
ReadI would not feel as comfortable in my own skin as I do now if I had not donated my kidney.
ReadPete’s kidney gave me my life back and gave my son Edward a mum with energy and vitality.
ReadWhether you’ve already decided to donate a kidney, or you are interested in finding out more about the process and what it involves, we’re here to answer any questions you might have.
