“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."
I live in Nottingham, but originally from Halifax in West Yorkshire. I moved down to Nottingham for medical school in 2007 where I finished my medical school training and did my junior doctor work in Mansfield and Derby. I qualified as a GP in 2017 and I’ve been a GP since working in and around Nottingham.
I first heard about non-directed altruistic kidney donation in 2017 in a book about economics, ‘Who Gets What and Why’ by a Nobel Laureate called Alvin Roth. He talked about different types of markets and in particular matching markets. This was the first time I came across kidney donation to strangers and it was in an American context. It just sparked my interest.
I found it quite unusual that I was in the medical profession myself and didn’t know about this until I came across it in an economics book. I looked it up online on the NHS website and found that we have a similar scheme in the UK, and indeed we have for a few years now.
I’d just qualified as a GP and I had a new job and wanted to get settled into the profession but it never disappeared, it was always in the back of my mind. It was something that for some reason I was just compelled towards doing right from the moment when I discovered it in in the economics book. I was amazed that I hadn’t heard about it before and that I didn’t know anybody who had done anything like that. For some reason, it just struck me like this is something that will feature in my life at some point but at that point it was not the right time because of my new job.
Then two years later when I felt more settled into my clinical role, it just became more of an appropriate time for me to go ahead. I re-made contact with the donation team at my local hospital, Nottingham City hospital, and advised them: “I’ve thought about it for two years now and I’ve spoken to lots of friends and loved ones about it and it seems like it’s something that I want to proceed with”. That’s when appointments were made and investigations were booked, and it went from there.
After I returned to the UK from Ukraine, I asked them to continue with the build-up. I was put into a matching run and matched into an altruistic donor chain with three recipients.
Leading up to the operation I had some more blood tests, met with the surgeon again, met with the anaesthetist for a pre-op assessment, and the op went ahead. Very soon after the operation, I was able to get out on walks every day, going uphill gradually, increasing the speed and the distance that I walked.
In the weeks leading up to the operation I was quite keen to proceed and almost excited to just do this thing because I’d been wanting to do it for so long. Now that it has happened, it feels quite normal. I certainly don’t feel like a different person; I feel very satisfied that I’ve finally done this thing and I was lucky enough to match into an altruistic donor chain of three people. We’ve heard from the hospitals in which the recipients had their donations that they’re doing very well and that’s the only reason that I decided to do this in the first place. That obviously brings an immense feeling of satisfaction as those people, whoever they are, no longer need dialysis three times a week. They can hopefully go about their lives in the way that they that they would do and whatever that involves for them. So that brings me a great sense of satisfaction, but beyond that I feel just like I used to. It certainly doesn’t feel like a big thing to me.
People have said things like ‘you’re very brave’ or ‘very generous’ but it certainly doesn’t feel like anything unusual to me. I think that’s a part of the message that I wanted to put out there. I’m a 34 year old guy, I’m pretty normal – I like football, I’ve got friends, I’m a normal guy, and this is something that a lot of people might want to do in their own lives as well.
I’d say that donating a kidney to a stranger is a big deal, but a temporary big deal. It’s something that normal people just like me can do in a section of their lives. It can bring a huge amount of benefit to the people that receive the kidney and all their friends family and loved ones. So you don’t need to be a superhero, you don’t need to be a mega star of any sort – this is potentially available to a large number of people and I recommend that people think whether or not it’s something that they can incorporate into their own lives.
"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."
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.
