"We had seen the impact of a transplant first hand. It provides a chance of a normal life."
Paul and Teresa: We have been very fortunate in many ways. We have both worked as doctors in the NHS and overseas. We have been well and healthy all our lives and have a supportive family. It has made us very conscious of our privilege and the corresponding responsibility we have for those who have not been so lucky.
In the course of our professional lives we have come across many people with kidney disease. Dialysis is a crucial treatment for those with end stage kidney failure but we know that a kidney transplant is better still and is the gold standard treatment because it provides the chance of a normal life. We had seen the impact of a transplant first hand and also knew that, after the operation, the vast majority of donors remain healthy without significant problems.
Paul: I saw an article about the change to the law making non directed donation possible in 2007 and knew at once that it was something I wished to consider. I made contact with the transplant coordinator at Guys Hospital and the ball started rolling. I knew that some otherwise healthy people are unable to donate and I was concerned that I might be one of them but fortunately all the tests were satisfactory.
It was a bit laborious trekking up to London for all the investigations but they were not painful or difficult. I was a bit apprehensive about the mental health assessment which I was told was mandatory but it turned out to be a relaxed conversation and not an intrusive interrogation.
After nearly 8 months I was given the go ahead and had my surgery in April 2008. It was not comfortable at the time but I recovered quickly and was back at my desk job after two weeks without any problems. I was (gently) told off at my follow up at 6 weeks because I had been doing some heavy gardening work. I have had my occasional check ups and can say that the surgery has had absolutely no impact on my health.
Teresa: Any anxieties I may have had were resolved by seeing Paul make a quick and uneventful recovery and for me the question was not ‘if’ but ‘when’?
I waited until our youngest child finished school and in 2012 I began the assessment process. My only regret is that I was not able to join a ‘chain’ as part of the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme. This is the way that a non directed kidney can potentially lead to one or more additional transplants.
Initially I felt a bit self conscious when talking about my donation but rapidly realised people were genuinely interested and that it was the best way to promote the cause.
Paul and Teresa: We have discussed our donation from time to time but it has not changed us or how we lead our lives in any fundamental way. We have since been back working overseas in Sierra Leone as well as in the UK and also have busy lives helping to look after our grandchildren.
Neither of us have had contact with our recipients and we don’t know where our kidneys went. We are happy with that. We did not want anyone to feel any kind of obligation towards us and are content to feel that we have donated into a system which needs more donors than it has access to. Of course we hope that there are two individuals who have benefitted but that is enough and we remain grateful that we have had the opportunity to be donors.
"I feel really happy in myself that I had the opportunity to help my sister the way I have."
Read"The difference we’ve seen in my sister since her transplant has been absolutely incredible."
Read"It felt just like donating blood, but with more checks. If I could help someone, then I wanted to do it."
ReadWhen his younger brother, George, was suddenly diagnosed with kidney disease, Ed was determined to support him in any way he could.
Read"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.
