“It’s amazing how a small amount of inconvenience on my part can make such a huge difference to someone else.”
In the early 1970’s, the Blood Transfusion Service came into the factory where I worked twice a year. I regularly gave blood, as did nearly everyone else in the factory (as you got time off the job and sandwiches, tea and biscuits were provided!). It was at one of these events that I picked up a card saying that in the event of my death I would be willing to donate my kidneys. All you had to do was sign the back of the card and carry it in your wallet. Of course, this was before computers were invented, so it was the only way to show you consented.
Fast forward to February 2012. I happened to catch the last couple of minutes of a programme my wife Shirley was watching on TV, in which Richard Pitman, the quite famous jockey, was telling how he had recently donated one of his kidneys to a complete stranger.
Wow!
My first thought was ‘I didn’t know you could do that’. My second thought was ‘Maybe I could do that’!
At this point in my life, I considered myself very fortunate. I had never known or met anyone with kidney disease, kidney failure, or who was on dialysis treatment. I had never been ill, or been in hospital, and had always enjoyed exceptional good health.
That same day I found the phone number for the Royal Liverpool Hospital and left a message with the living donor co-ordinator to say I had seen this programme and was interested in finding out more about being a living kidney donor.
I received a call back and we had a brief conversation about donating. I was sent a DVD and some leaflets in the post explaining more about the process and procedures.
The following week, I was invited to an appointment with the living donor co-ordinator at the hospital. There, I was taken through the many technical, medical and surgical tests and examinations I would have to go through to make sure I would be healthy enough to donate and to live the rest of my life with just one kidney.
It was explained to me that, as with any operation, there is a risk. They said that kidney donation is comparable to the removal of an appendix (1 in 3000 risk of death). Also, as this is an operation that I didn’t need, and would have no benefit whatsoever for me, I would go into the operating theatre fit and well, and come out slightly less so.
During my assessment the paired/pooled scheme was explained to me. This is a scheme that enables kidney’s from living donors throughout the UK to be ‘swapped’ for the benefit of patients waiting for a transplant.
My kidney was put into the paired scheme as then two people get a kidney – one directly and another indirectly.
It took almost a year to get through all the many blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans etc. There was nothing embarrassing or invasive about them, but I did feel a bit of a fraud going to all the various clinics and sitting with patients, some of whom had serious medical conditions, and here was I fit and well.
I also had to have a psychological assessment with a psychiatrist, and a meeting with an independent assessor on behalf of the Human Tissue Authority.
The date for my donation was decided by the smaller regional hospital. By a total coincidence they chose my 65th birthday!
I went into hospital the night before, and on my special birthday I donated my left kidney.
Later the same day my co-ordinator came to see me with the news that my recipient’s operation was successful and that the kidney was working well.
It’s amazing how a small amount of inconvenience on my part can make such a huge difference to someone else. For me it was three nights in hospital and I couldn’t put my left sock on for a few days, but I was discharged after three nights and was well enough to be back swimming 14 days later.
A few months later I received a lovely ‘thank you’ card from my recipient. She explained that she now had the vitality she had 10 years earlier, and because of my wonderful gift, her husband’s life and hers had changed ‘Immeasurably’.
For the last 10 years I have been a volunteer at my two local hospitals, The Royal Liverpool and Wirral University Teaching Hospital (Arrowe Park).
I work two days at the Royal and one day at Arrowe each week. I’m also a member of the organ donation committees at both hospitals, and an NHS blood and transplant organ donation ambassador for the North West.
I actively promote the NHS Organ Donor Register, attend the British Transplant Games and many other events, and have helped over 15,000 people sign onto the register.
I think one of the problems of charity, of helping someone, is assessing how much they are really helped. Being able to work in the Royal Liverpool Hospital, which is a kidney transplant centre, is fantastic because I get to meet so many patients who have had their lives saved by transplantation. It makes me so proud to have been able to donate a kidney and help someone less fortunate than myself, at virtually no cost to myself. It’s definitely the best thing I have ever achieved.
"If I had three kidneys, I’d absolutely donate another one tomorrow, unquestionably."
Read“I’m a great believer that when you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.”
Read"It’s now been almost 13 years since I donated, and nothing has changed in terms of my health or my lifestyle."
Read"Here was a chance to do something kind without having to wait for someone I know to need my support."
Read"Seeing how it helped my brother has made it all so, so worth it. As much as the journey was scary, it’s proven to be so rewarding."
Read“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.”
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.
