let me explain to start with

18 months ago I heard a radio programme about a woman who was to be a live donor for her mum but after tests it turned out she was sadly (for her) not a match, the transplant coordinators at her local hospital asked her if she would consider being an altruistic donor, which meant donating her kidney to a random stranger, this inspired me and prompted me to look into live organ donation further, being on the organ donors transplant list just wasn't enough for me after hearing what I could do now whilst I was still alive, something inside me told me this was something I could and needed to do.

It started then, so I called the local donor register and they put me in touch with the correct people who in turn sent me out an application pack, once this was filled in I was invited to see the specialist (whom I will name later due to privacy) after seeing the specialist I was then advised of what would happen and what tests I would need to have before I could be accepted.

After many tests, xrays, form filling and visits to see psychologists, I was deemed ready and declared fit and healthy to enable me to continue, when I put it in written form like this it seems like a matter of weeks, usually it would only take around 3-5 months to establish if anyone is ready but I like my holidays and had a few booked as well as this year is my 40th birthday I didn't want anything to hinder the plans I had already made, after all at this stage no one was relying on me personally so I was making the most of my time, selfish?!? I hear you say, no not at all but this was not something I could or would encourage anyone to rush into.

Anyway, the time has come where we now have a match and the operation is booked in, its a very humbling and warm feeling knowing that for the 1st time in years (ever for some people) they will be able to enjoy a normal life in the way that you and I have become to rely on day in day out, also to be able to go on holidays or simple things like play in the garden with their family that we all so take for granted, but most of all to be off dialysis, I can only assume that this must be the most intrusive way to live your life and have to rely on a machine to do what most of our own bodies do naturally.

As I prepare my bag and prepare for a stint of around 5 days in hospital I hope you all follow my blog and wish me all the luck on the world and keep me entertained whilst I'm in recovery, I can't go into too much detail until after the operation due to a privacy matter with the recipient as they may not want to know where their new kidney has come from, I myself am hoping that 1 day we will meet and I will see for myself the good I have done, but until that day I have to wait and respect the fact that until that person is well and fit enough, physically and mentally then I have to keep the info I give out to a minimum.

Many people ask me do I get paid for this? The answer is no, not that I would want to be either I am doing this because I don't feel you have to be dead to help someone else live a perfectly normal life, all I ask from this is that it raises awareness and even if people don't want to donate now then they can at least join the organ donors register, look at it this way if you needed a kidney, a liver or any other organ where would you be without the organ transplant register?

A doctor (forgive me I can't recall her name) once said "I can't make world peace, I can't cure world hunger, but I can take one person off the organ waiting list" how very true this is, as by me taking one person off that organ waiting list not only saves their life but widens the chance for the next person as they move up.

Keep thinking of me, love Mark x