"If I had more Kidneys to give, I'd be donating to anyone who needed one."
Claire and I first met at school over 20 years ago when we were both teenagers. We grew up together, lived together, and got married – all whilst Claire suffered from kidney disease. She had a kidney disease from birth – her dad, aunt and grandad all had the same condition. She wasn’t at a stage where she needed dialysis, but was deteriorating over time. She was used to living with it, but she definitely suffered from extreme tiredness.
We always wanted children, so we spoke to her doctor about our options. They told us that her kidneys weren’t so bad as to stop us from attempting, but we most likely would never conceive.
After 2 years of planning with a “Pregnancy with Chronic disease” specialist in Newcastle, we were delighted to beat the odds and fall pregnant.
At 24 weeks, Claires doctor said her kidneys were struggling, so she was admitted to Newcastle (we lived near York) to be on dialysis 6 days a week for the remainder of the pregnancy.
After 10 weeks of me staying in York during the week and seeing Claire on the weekend (Claire stayed in the hospital under the care of the specialist), our Daughter, Leala, was born and spent a few days in NICU due to being premature. A week later we were home, but found that out our daughter also had the same kidney disease as Claire. Claire came off dialysis, but she went back to her usual exhausted self.
2 years after Leala’s birth, we were told by the specialist we shouldn’t plan for any more children until after a transplant, as Claire’s kidneys had continued to deteriorate. A few years after that, Claire was pre-emptively put on the transplant list, which is where she stayed for 4 years.
During this time, her mum went through all the tests to donate a kidney to Claire, but ultimately was declined due to a small heart issue. After a discussion with Claire, I commenced tests to donate (Claire initially didn’t want me to in case our daughter needed a kidney in the future).
We were tested. I wasn’t a direct match for Claire, but we were told that I could donate to someone else so that Claire could receive someone else’s kidney, as part of the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme.
After a number of matching cycles, in 2019 I donated my Kidney in a three-way swap with someone else across the country. Claire received her Kidney the same day. I was home the next day, but Claire stayed in for another week to make sure she recovered fully.
Claire’s new kidney was doing really well for a couple of years, so we decided to speak to the doctors again about having another child (the mothering instinct could not be ignored by Claire!). In March 2022, our son Lincoln was born after a much simpler pregnancy. We named him Lincoln partly due to the fact the Lincoln Wing in Leeds is where we had our transplants. We simply wouldn’t have had him without the staff there.
Unfortunately, Lincoln has also been diagnosed with the same disease, however (as with our daughter) it is kept at bay with medication for now.
Claire has gone from strength to strength, and is currently undergoing a teaching qualification to become a college lecturer. Our daughter starts high school this September, and our son has just turned two.
Considering the challenges she faced through her life, Claire has been my rock. She has an understated strength and just gets on with things. There were times we were going to give up having kids, but I’m so glad that we didn’t. I am very lucky to be able to see first-hand the impact living donation has on a life.
The only negative points from donation is that I now have to make sure that I drink enough on a daily basis, or else I do feel a bit tired. but this is good practice anyway. I also feel the cold a bit more than I used to. An extra jumper sorts that out. In the grand scheme of things, the impact on me has been minimal, but the impact on Claire is immeasurable.
I’ve said a number of times to Claire that if I had more Kidneys to give, I’d be donating to anyone who needed one. The whole process was simple, straight forward, and has had very little long-term impact on me. I still go to the Gym every day, I’m as fit as I’ve ever been, and I go to sleep knowing the mother of my children is no longer suffering on a daily basis.
"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?"
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.
