George’s Story

I first learned that living kidney donation was possible when I was 18. At the time, I felt quite lost in life – I had recently finished school and had no clue what I wanted to do in the future. This changed when I saw a post online about someone sharing their experience of donating a kidney to a stranger. 

Before this, I knew about donating your organs after you’d died and had occasionally heard stories of people donating to help close relatives, but never to a stranger. None of my friends or family had suffered from kidney problems, so the idea was very foreign to me. I liked the concept, but I was also aware that I was still young, so I thought it best to sleep on it and keep it in mind as I got older. 

Over the next five years, I kept thinking about it every few weeks until I finally made up my mind and contacted the NHS about living kidney donation. 

The whole process was quick and stress-free. I first emailed the NHS in November 2022, but had to delay my first round of tests by a few months due to work commitments until February 2023. While I was waiting, I did a lot of research myself (mainly through podcasts such as ‘Donor Diaries’) and became certain I wanted to donate if I could. 

I booked every test and consultation as soon as I could. By July 2023, all my tests were done and I was informed at the end of August 2023 that a match had been found and a date was set. Just a few weeks later, I was one kidney lighter and had transformed a stranger’s life! 

I was a bit worried about the operation itself for all the normal reasons around surgery, but luckily none of my fears came true. The operation went exactly as planned and there were no issues. I was put to sleep in the morning at around 9:00am and was awake again around 2:00pm after the surgery. 

I only spent a few days recovering in the hospital. It started off poorly, as we quickly learned one of the painkillers didn’t sit well with me! Luckily, this was sorted quickly and the rest of my recovery in hospital was pain-free.  

On the first day after the operation, even standing up felt like a real task. However, the recovery was surprisingly fast – by the second day, I could slowly walk around the ward, and by the third, I was able to walk myself out of the hospital! My energy levels fluctuated – I had good days and bad days. But through it all, I could feel myself getting stronger and back to how I felt before.  

After 12 weeks, I was able to exercise again. I started off very slowly but quickly got back up to speed. I would say four weeks after restarting exercising, I was 95% back to normal. 

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. 

I had prepared myself for the outcome of not knowing where my kidney went, as it’s the recipient’s decision whether or not they want to reach out to their donor. I didn’t want to build up hope of hearing from the recipient, only to be disappointed if I never heard from them. However, six months after donating, the hospital received a letter from the recipient, addressed to me. I learned their name and their story. I was so happy to hear that the procedure went well on their end too, and they had begun to resume normal life. I must admit I cried a lot (tears of joy!) after receiving this letter – I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending! The procedure was smooth on both ends and both the recipient and I are back to good health. 

If you do choose to donate, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I am an independent person; I love to do everything myself. But while recovering, I had to swallow my pride and move back in with my dad for a few weeks until I could care for myself again. 

If I were giving advice to anyone considering living kidney donation, I would say, ironically, don’t listen to anyone except yourself. Friends and family will often give their opinions, but that final decision is only yours to make. It would be wrong of me to say “go and donate a kidney right now” because everyone’s situation is different – it was right for me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for you. Do not be pressured by others. It is your body and your choice. 

Best of luck on your journey!