LUBNA Khalid’s actions speak louder than words.

Faced with the potential risk of developing diabetes due to the medication she was taking following a kidney transplant nearly a decade ago prompted Lubna to focus on her own lifestyle.

The 43-year-old, from Bradford, was offered support sessions with health trainers, available through Bradford and District Care Trust.

Health Trainers provide advice and support on issues such as healthy eating and weight management as well as reducing loneliness and isolation.

Inspired by her own experience, Lubna became a health trainer and is now passing on the benefits to others with great success...

For three years Lubna was a Bradford Beating Diabetes Champion, helping those at risk of diabetes to make positive lifestyle changes.

Receiving the gift of life through a kidney transplant was an impetus for Lubna’s eagerness to help others. She doesn’t know what caused her kidney to fail but it led to three years on dialysis.

Yet, despite her ill health, Lubna undertook voluntary work with the Women’s Zone community centre in Leeds Road, Bradford.

Lubna continues to help out at the centre, managed by her sister Rubina Khalid. Her other passion is presenting on Bradford’s community radio station BCB - a role which has introduced her to celebrities and Bollywood stars.

Now - thanks to her donor - Lubna can look forward to a more positive future.

She recalls being on the waiting list for around three years before the call came.

Lubna knows little about her donor other than the precious gift of life they have given her - and she cannot thank them enough and is determined to make the most of her life.

Lubna says the impact of having a transplant has made her appreciate her health all the more.

“I value my life now, I really value it.”

Lubna welcomes the Government’s consultation to introduce an ‘opt out system’ which means those who don’t wish to be a donor will have to opt out.

According to NHS Blood and Transplant there are currently 176 people waiting for a kidney in West Yorkshire.

However, the organisation recently warned of a worrying decline in living kidney donation in West Yorkshire as new national figures hit an eight year low.

There were 990 living kidney donors in the UK during 2017, a 10 per cent decline on the highest ever year 2013, and the lowest figure since 2009.

In West Yorkshire, there were only 21 living kidney donors in 2017, compared to 24 in 2013.

Sadly, forty one people from West Yorkshire have died on the transplant list waiting for a kidney in the last five years.

Says Lubna: “I much appreciate everyone being a donor because you can save someone’s life.”

Most living donations are between family and friends. People can also choose to donate altruistically, when their kidney is matched anonymously to a suitable person on the waiting list.

Since her transplant Lubna has become more conscious of her diet and leading a healthy lifestyle and is now enjoying passing on the benefits to others through her role as a health trainer.

She explains how being a health trainer enables her to help motivate people, particularly those who are keen to lose weight.

Tailoring programmes to help people keep active and helping with stress reduction are just some of the essential elements of her important role.

“I love it and I love that people come and talk about feeling better. I think I am helping someone,” says Lubna.

“After my kidney transplant I said this is the way I am helping someone - someone can make a change in their life. They are happy in their life and they feel positive. That makes me feel happy.”

For more information on organ donation and to join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk

To find out more about the Government consultation visit gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health.

To get in touch with the Health Trainer Service call 01274 322666 or email: healthtrainers@bdct.nhs.uk