Page 32 - Changing Perceptions

Facts about Living Kidney Donation

Who is a living donor?
A living kidney donor is a person who gives one of their healthy kidneys
to someone with kidney failure who needs a transplant. This could be a
friend or family member, or someone you do not know. In the UK, liv-
ing kidney transplants have been performed since 1960, and currently
around 1,100 such operations are performed each year, with a very high
success rate. A kidney transplant is transformational for someone with
kidney disease, and offering to donate a kidney is a wonderful thing to
do.

Why is living kidney donation important?

A kidney transplant from a living donor is the best treatment option
available for most people with kidney disease, it offers people the best
opportunity for success, as living donor kidneys usually last longer than
those from deceased donors. With a transplant, some people can avoid
needing dialysis treatment entirely. This is even better than having a
transplant once dialysis has started because recipients who receive a
kidney before they have to go onto dialysis generally live longer than
those who do not.

Why do we need more black living kidney donors?
The average waiting time for a kidney transplant from someone who
has died is approximately three years, as there are not enough kidneys
donated by people who have died for everyone who needs a transplant.
There are currently over 600 black people in the UK with chronic kidney
disease who are waiting for a kidney transplant, unfortunately only a
very small percentage of black people come forward as living kidney
donors compared to people from other communities. Also, less than 1%
of the people on the organ donor register are black. As a result, many
black people, and especially those with rare tissue types, can spend up

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