Giving the ‘exceptional gift’ – Living Kidney Donation Awareness Week

March 2019 marks the 10^th anniversary of the first altruistic kidney donation in Scotland – and for those living with end-stage kidney failure, such a transplant can be life-changing.

To mark the 10^th anniversary and to coincide with World Kidney Day (March 14^th), the National Living Kidney Donation Awareness Week takes place from March 11^th-17^th; backed by a host of people whose health has been transformed by that exceptional gift.

Living kidney transplants have been performed in Scotland since 1960s and currently around 100 such operations are performed each year with a very high success rate.

Yet over 400 people in Scotland remain waiting for a kidney transplant, and in 2017/18, 26 people died while waiting for a transplant.

There are two types of living kidney donations – Directed donation, by people who are close to the person in need of a kidney (family member, partner or good friend); and Non-directed donation (altruistic living kidney donation), people who don’t know anyone with kidney disease but wish to donation one of their kidneys anonymously to someone on the NHS Blood and Transplant national register to help improve someone’s life.

In the last ten years, over 1,000 people have transformed the lives of others by becoming living kidney donors – and since 2006, 78 people in Scotland have donated one of their kidneys altruistically, to someone they have never met.

Jen Lumsdaine, living donor transplant co-ordinator, said: “Everyone has different motivations for considering living kidney donation, but the thing that unites those who go on to donate is the desire to help someone in need.

“I’ve seen first-hand the life-changing difference it can make. Of course, we recognise it isn’t for everyone but raising awareness of the fact that people can donate, and lead a completely normal life with one kidney, is key to increasing donor rates and helping those for whom the wait continues.”

Living kidney donation can not only lead to better outcomes for patients – they tend to live longer and feel better than patients who have other forms of kidney replacement such as dialysis –  but one donor can trigger a ‘chain’ of transplants, meaning up to three people can receive a transplant as part of one person’s gift.

If you wish to find out more about giving the exceptional gift and Living Kidney Donation, please visit www.livingdonationscotland.org for further details.