Liz's family struggled at first with her determination to donate her kidney to someone unrelated to her.
“Some people are just built differently, and you’re one of those people. You just like helping people.”
This was the reassurance that Liz needed when her family were struggling with her determination to donate her kidney to someone completely unrelated to her.
Blood tests were the first step and two weeks later Liz got a call to say she was a match. The transplant team asked her to take a couple of weeks to think about it, Liz explains: “I said I don’t need two weeks, I will do it. And they said, don’t you want to go and talk to your family? And I said no, because I know what they’ll say. It’s my body and I’ve decided I wanted to do this.”
There followed six months of testing, which Liz passed with flying colours. Then after one delay due to her recipient having an infection, the transplant date was set.
Liz’s own family had big concerns; such strong feelings that Liz went to a psychologist to talk it through before the operation. At the time, she was so relaxed she couldn’t understand where they were coming from.
“I didn’t see the serious side to it,” she says. “I’ve had quite a lot of operations, nothing major, but shoulders and back and all sorts of bits and bobs. Hospitals don’t bother me at all, I actually find them fascinating places and I’d worked in the NHS as well so I know how wonderful it is. So none of it really scared me, although everyone else around me was terrified! I just didn’t get it.”
“In hindsight, looking back I do see now they were worried. But I felt so strongly about it. I went to see a psychologist who said ‘I just think it’s so you, it’s just you Liz, it’s who you are, don’t feel bad about it, your family will eventually come round when they see you well after the operation, it will all go back to normal.’ And it did, it was as simple as that. None of them held grudges, it was just relief.”
The operation itself was fairly smooth sailing. Liz woke up feeling “pretty horrid” – as is common among donors at the start. But within a few days she was home and built her strength back up gradually. Apart from a spell back in hospital to treat an infection, which she’d been warned to look out for, her recovery went well.
“I just did some gentle walking, I ate really well and looked after myself. I healed really quickly. I haven’t really had any side effects. My kidney function can yoyo a bit, but they never get worried by it.
“I was very sporty and made sure I got really fit and strong before I donated, I knew that would help my recovery. I did a marathon four months post donation, not in a very quick time, but I thought that was pretty good. Everyone thought I couldn’t do it, that I would put myself at risk. But I drank loads of water, I walked a bit of it and I was fine. I think that’s my mentality in life really anyway, just to crack on.”
Four years on, Liz is doing well, and continues to take on multiple sporting challenges. She has continued interest on helping patients, and, since her operation, has spent time working has on a dialysis ward (which she hopes to go back to), giving her an even greater appreciation for the difference a transplant can make. She remains a huge advocate for living donation and spreading the word so more people consider becoming a donor.
“It’s really, really lifechanging for you as a donor,” she says. “It just gives you a different perspective on life, just to value what you’ve got, appreciate everything that you have, your health. I’m so lucky, I have been able to donate. There are many people who can’t do it and I can.”
Emma 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."
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.
