Woman who gave kidney to friend urges Scots to consider donation
Lisa Wright, 60, donated her organ to her 68-year-old friend Valerie Jack after finding out she had kidney disease.
A woman who donated her kidney to her friend has encouraged more Scots to consider giving their organs away.
Lisa Wright, a 60-year-old from Edinburgh, gave up her kidney to her friend and fellow bandmate, 68-year-old Valerie Jack, from Ayrshire.
The women are raising awareness about the option for non-relatives to donate kidneys ahead of World Kidney Day on Thursday.
Nearly 2,000 people in Scotland have helped others by donating a kidney since the UK’s first living donor kidney transplant in Edinburgh 65 years ago.
When kidney donation began in 1960 the first case involved identical twins, which reduced the risk of rejection by the recipient’s immune system.
But advances in medical science and a change in the law in 2006 mean complete strangers can donate, with 120 donations having happened this way.
Ms Wright encouraged more Scots to become donors. She said: “I’ve known Val for about 10 years, but I wasn’t aware of her kidney disease until more recently. She found dialysis tough and wasn’t getting any transplant offers, so I felt it was the right thing to do to help.
“The whole process was incredibly easy. The transplant team and surgeons were amazing – they answered every question I had and kept everything clear and straightforward. The surgery itself was simple for me and recovery has been smooth.
“The nursing staff on the renal ward at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh were lovely, and I’m so grateful for the care I received. It’s been about two and a half months since the surgery, and I honestly feel no different, except for a few twinges from my scar.
“If a chronic disease can be treated with a transplant, I feel we should do what we can to maximise the number of donors.
“I think the key takeaway from our experience is that live, unrelated donation is an option, and I feel perfectly fine with one kidney, while Val now feels so much better with hers. And yes, it’s her kidney now – she can keep it.”
Ms Jack said: “My personal experience of kidney donation has been incredibly positive. I was absolutely astonished when Lisa offered me a kidney and I believe her to be a truly kind and thoughtful person for it.
“The transplant process was surprisingly smooth for me. I had my operation in the Queen Elizabeth in Glasgow on the same day, and I was out of the hospital just five days later.
“Thanks to Lisa, I now feel amazing, especially without the need for dialysis three times a week. It’s given me a newfound freedom.”
John Terrace, consultant surgeon at NHS Lothian, said living donor kidney transplants are “life-changing” for patients with kidney failure.
He added: “It’s a fulfilling and safe procedure, with around 40-50 living donor kidney transplants performed annually in Edinburgh – nearly half of our total kidney transplants.
“I’d like to highlight that living kidney donors don’t need to be family members. Friends or even strangers who simply want to help can donate, and advances in medical science allow us to match donors and recipients – even if they’re not a blood or tissue match.”
Public health minister Jenni Minto encouraged more Scots to consider donations.
Speaking on a visit to NHS Lothian’s histocompatibility and immunogenetics laboratory at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, she said: “Donating a kidney is a truly life-changing gift and I was inspired to hear Lisa and Val’s story – I am glad they have recovered well.
“Their success story highlights that you don’t need to be related to have a living donor transplant – and that a healthy donor can have a completely normal life with one working kidney.
“A living donor transplant can reduce the time which people living with kidney failure spend on dialysis and dramatically improve their quality of life.
“Many more people need transplants so, ahead of World Kidney Day, I urge everyone to consider live kidney donations to give another person a chance of a better life.”
