Bradford woman urges people to consider kidney donation

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has launched a new website which aims to encourage more people - especially those from ethnically diverse communities - to consider donating a kidney.

Retired social worker Nancy Plowes has done just that - and she described the experience as "very rewarding".

In Bradford, there were 75 people on the transplant waiting list as of January 5 - 68 of whom were waiting for a kidney, according to NHS figures.

Across the UK, a total of 5,684 people were waiting for a kidney transplant.

'Lots of support'

Nancy, 62, of Thornton, said she went to give blood in 2019 when she saw a leaflet about kidney donation.

"I knew you could donate a kidney to a family member while you're alive, but I didn't realise you could do it for people you didn't know, so that piqued my interest," she told the Telegraph & Argus. 

"I felt like it was something I could do that would make a really big difference to someone else's life.

"From there, I rang the kidney unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary to say I was interested and they invited me in for a chat.

"They were really good. 

"They explained to me the whole process and said that I would have to have a lot of tests, and that it wasn't automatic that I would be able to donate. 

"A lot of people don't have two wholly functioning kidneys and that just shows that lots of us can function with only one kidney.

"Then Covid came and nothing happened for a while - but in October 2021, they found a match for me."

Nancy later underwent her operation with "lots of support" from hospital staff and her family "all the way through".

She said: "I knew that I could say no at any point, right up to the very morning of the operation, and I never felt I was under pressure to go through with it. 

"They constantly checked that I was still comfortable with it.

"I feel really well ever since."

'I wanted to do my bit'

Nancy said she does not know the person she helped - but she received a card from the individual proving she had made a huge difference. 

"The hospital did say I could find out a bit about them, but I decided I didn't want to go down this avenue," she said.

"I just wanted to do my bit and let my kidney be passed on.

"Just before Christmas of that year, though, the hospital contacted me and said said the person who'd received my kidney wanted to send me a Christmas card.

"I agreed to this and the hospital sent it to me.

"It was a really nice card thanking me - this was lovely and made me happy because I knew it had worked."

'It's a great thing to do'

Nancy had a few words for people reading this who may be considering donating one of their kidneys.

"Talk to the kidney donation team at the trust - they'll answer any question for you, however big or small," she said.

"I think it's a great thing to do, it's a great act and very rewarding - and it's amazing that surgeons can do this.

"What is really good is I know that it's made a massive difference to somebody else's life.

"I was glad to be able to do it. 

"If I had another kidney spare, I would definitely do it again."

Living kidney donor transplant co-ordinator Michael Speight, who is based at St Luke's Hospital in Bradford (Image: Submitted)

The trust's Live Kidney Donor website offers information for potential donors, as well as testimonials from people who have been through the process.

Living kidney donor transplant co-ordinator Michael Speight, who is based at St Luke's Hospital in Bradford, said: "We are passionate about helping patients who are waiting for a transplant due to kidney disease as they currently have dialysis three times a week which is gruelling and affects all aspects of their and their families' lives.

“Most of us can live with one kidney, so if you are interested in doing something altruistic, please contact us to discuss the scheme."

Visit https://campaigns.bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk/live-kidney-donors for more information.