Make Your Mark

Mandy donated one of her kidneys to her younger cousin Lou, who is ten years younger than her and was diagnosed with kidney problems when she was two years old. "If she had asked me to go on the rides with her at Alton Towers, now that would have been the biggest challenge of my life! But all I did was what I could, with very little effort on my part." Read Mandy and Lou's heartfelt experiences with living kidney donation by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/eDhPZ3gz

Before donating a kidney, it’s important to take time to prepare yourself for the journey ahead. Read our latest article for information on how to prepare to donate a kidney, from initial steps and preparing for surgery through to thinking about your finances. https://lnkd.in/e8x2tMUw

Dennis is keen to show people that you can still live your life as normal and achieve great things after donating a kidney. "I think everyone who has been involved in a successful living kidney transplant must feel elated at having made a significant difference to someone else’s life, and many would do it again if they could. I certainly felt good, but I also wanted to do more, to go the extra mile, you might say. In fact, it turned out to be 500 extra miles! "I couldn’t repeat the donation process this side of the river Styx, so I set about utilising my past experience in fundraising events and coupled that with raising awareness of living kidney donation. I came up with the idea of The Transplant Tour, a six-day cycle ride from Edinburgh to Oxford, stopping off at a total of seven transplant units during the journey. My aim was to show that being left with just one kidney doesn’t impede your life in any way. You can still live your life as normal, and even take part in things like long-distance endurance bike rides." Read more about Dennis' experiences by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/eQJA8CwM

Sara donated a kidney to her son Joseph, which has given the whole family a new lease of life. "We’re now able to go away and enjoy going swimming together which is something we couldn’t do before.” “My heart goes out to anyone going through similar things. I really hope those waiting for transplants get it soon. It’s not an easy treatment as there are still so many ups and downs post-transplant, but it’s so worth it compared to the restrictions of dialysis.” Read more about Sara and Joseph's experiences with living kidney donation on our website: https://lnkd.in/emQAjkPh

It’s normal to question if donating a kidney will have long-term effects on your health, like how donating a kidney will affect how long you live for – but many studies have shown that living kidney donation doesn’t shorten your lifespan. Visit our latest web page for more information to answer any questions you might have: https://lnkd.in/g4SuH9Jc

When Ali heard that a former colleague was waiting for a kidney transplant, he knew within minutes that he would offer one of his. "The whole experience has been life enriching beyond anything I could ever describe. Of all the things I’ve ever done in my life this has definitely been the happiest." "There are so many misconceptions out there about how you can’t live a normal life after donating a kidney, but that’s just not true. I can still do everything I could do before my donation. I’m still living a healthy and normal life with one kidney." Read more about Ali's experiences with donating a kidney by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/eR8ugQZG

"All my family, friends and work colleagues said I was a hero and a brave person for donating. I don’t consider myself to be a hero or brave. I just did what I was brought up to do – to help others." Chris donated one of his kidneys to a stranger, enabling two kidney transplants to take place through the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme. Read his story in full on our website: https://lnkd.in/gxhbPy-5

When your kidneys work properly, they filter and remove waste products and fluid from the blood. When your kidneys fail, it can be life-threatening and you need treatments such as a transplant or dialysis to stay alive. Dialysis works to replace some functions of your kidney, if your kidneys have failed, by using a machine to filter and clean your blood. Dialysis is not a cure for kidney failure. Dialysis patients undergo four-hour sessions three times a week in hospital. It is time consuming, restrictive, and associated with other significant health risks. This video from Kidney Research UK showcases what life is really like living on dialysis. https://lnkd.in/ePzTPTh4

Is there an age limit to donating a kidney? A common misunderstanding is that older people cannot donate their kidneys. This isn't true. Age is just one of many things considered, and the answer is not as simple as a strict cut-off age. Visit our website for information on how your age affects kidney donation. https://lnkd.in/gg6R9F2t

Julie worked hard to stay fit and healthy before donating a kidney to her husband's nephew. At first she had no idea someone could be a kidney match with a non-blood relative, and only got tested to show camaraderie for her husband. Visit our website to read Julie's experiences with donating a kidney - including her top three essentials for an overnight trip to the hospital! https://lnkd.in/eYBd37T4