When Dr John Roberts discovered his son Alex had a condition which meant his kidneys were failing, he wanted to help in any way possible.
Fortunately, John, 66, was found to be a match – and last week he underwent surgery at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, to donate a kidney to Alex.
After the operation, John said: “I’m feeling fantastic, not only because I’ve had a good recovery, but my son’s doing really well.
“I’ve just been down to see him on the ward, and he’s delighted, we’re all delighted, the team as well, everyone’s happy. It’s been a minor inconvenience, really, and it’s been a great experience.”
This year, the first ever Living Donation Week runs from 10-16 March, and the kidney and liver transplant teams at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust are raising awareness of the difference a living donor can make.
In Leeds, currently 430 people are waiting for a kidney transplant, and 81 people are waiting for a liver transplant.
Most people are born with two kidneys, but we only need one kidney to lead a happy and healthy life. At Leeds Teaching Hospitals, around 60 live kidney donor transplants are carried out each year for patients across West Yorkshire and Humber.
Adam Barlow, a consultant transplant surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “The average wait for a kidney varies, but is around two years. That can be reduced if people have either a family member or a friend who is able to donate a kidney to them. That can mean that someone avoids going onto dialysis before a transplant, and we know that has benefits for people with renal failure.
“We’re very lucky here in Leeds that around 60 people a year come forward as live kidney donors, and those operations are done here in Leeds on at least a weekly basis.
“The vast majority of live kidney donations, we can do with keyhole surgery and that means the recovery afterwards can be very quick.”
Most people only stay in hospital for one night after the operation, and can do normal everyday activities straight away. They can usually fully return to work and exercise around six weeks after the operation.
Adam said: “For someone on the transplant list a live donor kidney really is the Rolls Royce or the gold standard treatment for kidney failure. We know that transplant gives people a better quality of life, better general health and also better life expectancy than being on dialysis. We’d expect it to work straight away and to give better kidney function and also last longer than a kidney from someone who’s passed away.”
It is also possible for living donors to donate part of their liver, as it can regenerate within weeks. Since 2007, 145 live donor liver transplants have been carried out in Leeds – 22 of these have been from altruistic donors, which is where a person wishes to donate to someone they do not know.
Laura, a vet, donated part of her liver, which went to a baby girl who she did not know.
“Upon hearing about altruistic liver donation, I knew I could make a difference,” she said.
“I am now back to full time work as a veterinary surgeon and have returned to all sporting and social commitments; running half marathons, cycling and back to camping and hiking in the Lakes.
“Most importantly, I think of the opportunities that a child has because of me.
“I think of the person she will become, the relationships she will have and the impact she will have on the future people she will meet. A little girl has the world at her feet and that alone is enough.”
To find out more about becoming a living kidney donor, please visit https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/services/kidney-renal-transplantation/living-donors/
To find out more about live liver donations, please visit https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/services/liver-unit/liver-transplantation/live-donor-liver-transplant-programme/