When Ali heard that a former colleague was waiting for a kidney transplant, he knew within minutes that he would offer one of his.
As soon as I learnt that Sonia was on the waiting list for a kidney, I knew instantly that it was something I wanted to do.I was actually one of her students when I was studying Diagnostic Radiography. She was always an excellent teacher, and I knew in my heart that I wanted to donate as soon as I found out about what she was going through. It was an easy decision.
It started one day when I saw on Facebook her sister had uploaded a picture of a card and some flowers from her colleagues at Kings thanking them for their kind gesture. I texted Sonia to ask how she was and she told me more about her kidney disease. She explained how she had lived with it since she was 25 and was just starting dialysis, which she was finding very overwhelming and emotional.
I asked if she had found a donor yet, but she explained had been on the transplant waiting list for 2 years. I had donated blood before this and knew my own blood type, so I asked what her blood type was in case we shared the same one. Her type was the same as mine. It felt like fate. I immediately remembered how lovely she was to her students, and I knew immediately what the right thing to do was. That’s when I told her I would begin testing to see if I could be a donor for her.
There were a number of tests and scans, which I honestly found quite overwhelming at first. My living donor coordinator sat down with me for our first meeting and went through everything involved for about an hour. When they were done, she took my blood pressure, and it was through the roof because of everything she’d told me! We were able to chat through everything a bit more and I had time to go away and do my own research, which really helped me understand everything going on and what to expect.
In the end, I was found to be a match for her. I’m not a religious person, but it felt like fate. It felt right.
The operation happened in Guy’s Hospital on May 30th. Sonia went into hospital the day before me, while I got there for 7:00am. They came to take me down to theatre first. I said goodbye to Sonia, and we both started crying. The emotions were certainly very high!
The operation itself went off without a hitch. When I woke up, I remember seeing her being wheeled into recovery. It was wonderful to see, but I was definitely still nervous about her operation had gone. I asked the Sonographer who had come to do a kidney scan on Sonia if everything went well, and he told me she was fine. It was such a relief to hear that!
At first Sonia wasn’t sure if she wanted to share her story widely as she didn’t want people to feel needlessly sorry for her, but after the operation we both knew that we wanted to share our experiences so that other people could hear what we went through, and realise how easy it is to become a donor.
Sadly Sonia’s twin sister is now also on the kidney transplant list with the same hereditary illness, polycystic kidney disease. She’s been on the waiting list for a kidney over four years now and has to go through dialysis three times a week, eight hours at a time.
There are over 6,000 people on the waiting list for a kidney in the UK at the moment, including Sonia’s sister. There are so many misconceptions out there about how you can’t live a normal life after donating a kidney, but that’s just not true. I can still do everything I could do before my donation. I’m still living a healthy and normal life with one kidney. If anything, I’m healthier now because I’m aware of my own body in a way that I never was before. I make sure to stay hydrated and I go to the gym more. Donating a kidney can sound difficult, but the reality of it is that donating a kidney is nowhere near as bad as it sounds.
The whole experience has been life enriching beyond anything I could ever describe. Of all the things I’ve ever done in my life this has definitely been the happiest.
"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.
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.
