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Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham has paid tribute to some of the region’s most extraordinary individuals; altruistic kidney donors, who have given the gift of life to strangers in need of lifesaving kidney transplants.

An altruistic donor is someone who donates an organ or tissue to someone they do not know, without the expectation of compensation or anything in return.

Hosted by the hospital’s Live Kidney Donor Team, the celebration brought together donors, clinicians and charity partners to recognise and celebrate the donors’ extraordinary generosity. Guests heard first-hand accounts of donation experiences and were given the chance to connect with fellow donors.

His Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Dr Wade Lyn CBE, was also in attendance as guest of honour, and presented each donor with a commemorative plaque in recognition of their extraordinary contribution.

Currently, more than 7,000 people in the UK are waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant, with altruistic donations accounting for only a small percentage of all transplants. 

More than 40 individuals have altruistically donated their kidney to a stranger through Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, with one of the oldest donors being 81 years old at the time of donation.

Altruistic donors must complete a health questionnaire, have blood tests and scans of their kidneys to ensure they can continue to lead a normal, healthy life with one kidney following donation.

69-year-old Paul Hawthorne, from Stratford-upon-Avon, said: “I received an email about kidney donation which sparked my imagination and made me think 'perhaps I could go down this route’. My wife died from cancer, and she was my main inspiration for doing this.

“I came to the hospital, met the team and was made to feel at ease about going through the whole process. It has been a great journey, one I have immensely enjoyed and thought I would never do, but I am so glad to have done it. Although I don’t know my recipient, it doesn’t really matter. I know that they are doing well and for me that is enough.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of myself, I don’t think I have ever felt like this in my whole life. I have been proud of my family but to feel proud of myself and what I have done; giving someone a life, is an amazing feeling. It’s a small measure of time in my life, that can make a massive difference to the measure of time in someone else’s.

“If anyone is considering donating their kidney, I recommend looking into it, doing some research like I did, and just do it – go on that journey because it is such a wonderful and uplifting thing to do.”

31-year-old Shanice Caines from Birmingham said: “I initially tried to donate platelets, but I didn’t qualify and had to wait a year. I didn’t want to give up and wanted to find other ways that I could keep on giving, as giving blood was something that allowed me to give back to the community. I sat on the bus reading the Metro and I saw an advert about donating your kidney and I thought, ‘I don’t know anyone that needs a kidney but I’m donating, that’s my goal’.

“I went home, called the hospital and spoke to Sheryl, the transplant coordinator and we went from there.

“If anyone is considering altruistic donation, I say go for it. It is so humbling to know that someone out there has a new lease of life from receiving my kidney, it’s amazing. It makes me feel really hopeful and that life isn’t that bad if the littlest things we can give can make the biggest difference.”

Dr Shazia Shabir, Consultant Nephrologist and Medical Lead for Kidney Transplantation at University Hospitals Birmingham, said: “To our altruistic donors, your generosity is more than a medical gift. It is an act of profound humanity. Thank you for proving that kindness can be powerful, empathy can be transformative, and that one person’s decision can ripple outward to change countless lives. We carry gratitude for you in every life your gift helps to restore.”

If you are interested in finding out more about kidney donation, visit https://www.donateakidney.co.uk/