Dan's kidney transplant made a huge difference to his quality of life.
Ever since he was a small boy, Dan Hogben, 19, had dreamed of being a footballer. As a 16-year-old, he was part of the Hull City youth squad and was on the verge of being offered a two-year scholarship there.
Then, devastatingly, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, with his kidney function at around 13 per cent, and had to give up his dreams.
Now, however, after having a kidney transplant, he is getting back to full fitness and planning to pursue a future in football as a referee.
He says, “I’d been playing football since I was about six or seven, then at 11 I got into Hull City. But at 16 I was diagnosed with kidney disease. I’d had a few viruses and had gone for a blood test, and they discovered my kidney function was around 13 per cent.”
“I don’t think the full implications of leaving hit me straight away as my focus switched from the pressure of the academy environment to understanding my diagnosis and what this meant for me. It wasn’t until a year or two after leaving Hull that I realised just how much I was missing it.”
Luckily, he says, the academy had always encouraged boys to have a “Plan B” in case they didn’t make it so he continued at school and embarked on an A Level course.
He was supposed to take his exams in June 2023, but fate intervened: having been added to the living donor sharing scheme in January he got the call that he’d been matched and surgery was planned for May.
Dan says, “I was extremely lucky that I didn’t have to go on dialysis as the changes to my diet and medication kept me feeling ok. The plan was to leave it as long as possible to give me a transplant because the kidney only lasts a certain amount of time.”
“I was in the living donor sharing scheme with my mother Alison, 51, as donor. She was actually a match for me but because my doctors couldn’t find out what caused my kidney disease they felt it would be less risky if we joined the shared scheme.”
He adds, “The operation was more painful than I expected because I had a big bleed afterwards. But I was out of hospital after five days and Mum came out after two. But I think she was hurting for a bit longer than me in the end. Now, I feel perfectly back to normal.”
After two years of uncertainty, Dan could get his life back on track. He’s decided not to sit his A levels, but has started a course in project management and design construction, which he is enjoying.
Additionally, he’s training to be a referee. He explains, “I was back at Hull City Academy about two weeks ago doing an FA course learning about how to be a referee. I did an hour’s training session with them as part of it as well, and that was my first time back playing football.”
“Because of my connection with them, Hull City have said I can start refereeing some of the younger teams and my plan is to work up the scale as quickly as possible.”
Dan says it was emotional to go back. “I also feel it when I go to watch professional games, wishing I was out there on the pitch. But mainly I was just pleased to be back out on the pitch. I haven’t quite got my full running fitness back, but I’m going to the gym to sort that. If I compare myself to how I was before the transplant, I’m a lot more energetic. I was so pale before.”
Having been inspired by people like footballer Andy Cole, who has also had a kidney transplant, Dan is determined to show other young transplant patients that you can still be involved in a sport at a high level. “I’d like to create hope for people who are in a similar situation to me, sporting-wise,” he says.
“Looking back, I would do anything to still be playing for Hull City but I’ve learned that I’m the type of person to look forward. I understand I can only change my future, not my past.”
“But mostly I want to create positivity for other people who’ve recently been diagnosed and are just at the start of their journey of having kidney disease. When I first found out, all the positives in my life suddenly stopped. At that stage the future is uncertain and you can’t imagine getting your life back to what it was.”
“I was lucky in that the demands and pressures of being in the academy gave me the mental strength to be as positive as I am and have always been. That’s why I feel I can try pass on that positivity to people who are struggling mentally going with their kidney disease diagnosis.
“It can feel negative at the beginning, but I want to show them that transplants make a huge difference to your life and you will adapt and find other ways of living life to the full.”
"Someone out there in need of a kidney has been set free and I don’t even feel any different to how I was before."
ReadA kidney donation from John's daughter meant that he is now able to enjoy time with his great granddaughter.
Read"I hope my story shows just what a wonderful, life-saving gift it is to donate a kidney."
Read"I’ve seen how donating a kidney can improve a family and give somebody back their life after years of suffering.”
Read"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.”
Read“It’s amazing how a small amount of inconvenience on my part can make such a huge difference to someone else.”
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.
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.
