Organ Donation Week: The Life Changing Impact of Kidney Transplants

As we mark Organ Donation Week (22 - 28 September), it is important to highlight the impact of kidney failure and the transformative potential of kidney transplants.

Kidney disease can develop quietly and progress rapidly, often without obvious symptoms until kidney function is significantly reduced. Many people are often diagnosed only after experiencing symptoms such as extreme fatigue, foamy or cloudy urine, weight loss or poor appetite, shortness of breath or swollen ankles, feet or hands.

Kidney failure is often described as an invisible illness because, on the surface, a person may appear well. However, it is associated with a wide range of health complications, including anaemia, severe fatigue, muscle cramps, high blood pressure, and increased susceptibility to infections. The physical and logistical demands of dialysis can also affect every aspect of a patient’s life, from career opportunities to family responsibilities and social activities.

At the time of writing this blog, at the start of Organ Donation Week, almost 7,000 people in the United Kingdom are waiting for a kidney transplant.

A kidney transplant is not a cure for kidney disease; it is another form of treatment, but it's a treatment that can significantly improve the quality of life for those who receive one.

For those whose kidney function declines to the point of kidney failure, dialysis becomes a life sustaining treatment if they have not found a living donor. This would be either peritoneal dialysis or haemodialysis and both styles of treatment requires careful management of fluid intake, nutrition, and medications. The dialysis treatment schedule can be demanding - depending on the style of dialysis it could be multiple sessions a week or multiple sessions a day.

Although dialysis is a vital treatment that keeps patients alive while they wait for a kidney transplant, it also places heavy restrictions on their everyday living. Haemodialysis sessions can typically last around three to four hours, three times a week, and peritoneal dialysis could be up to 4 fluid exchanges a during the day, or 8 - 10 hours on an overnight session. Dialysis ties patients to a strict routine and makes it difficult to travel, work, or enjoy the freedom that many others might take for granted.

A kidney transplant removes the need for regular dialysis, freeing patients from the machine and allowing them to regain more control over their day-to-day lives. It offers the chance to enjoy greater flexibility, spontaneity, and the ability to make plans without constantly scheduling treatment. Many recipients of a transplant also experience renewed energy to focus on their careers, passions, and new opportunities. Beyond this, kidney transplantation can restore the ability to be fully present with loved ones, to take on the responsibilities of raising children, or to provide care for family members. For children and young adults, it can mean keeping up with education, joining in with friends, and looking forward to a future that illness had placed on hold. It may also mean the joy of spending precious time with grandchildren or simply being able to enjoy the everyday moments that make life meaningful. As kidney failure affects people of every age, the gift of a transplant can transform lives across generations.

However, a kidney transplant is not without challenges. It is another form of treatment that requires lifelong care, including taking immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of the donated organ. These medications carry risks, such as increased susceptibility to infections. Even so, the benefits of a transplant often include fewer restrictions and a level of freedom and normality that dialysis cannot provide.

A kidney donation has the power not only to extend life but also to transform it by vastly improving quality of life.

By registering as a deceased organ donor, you have the potential to save lives and bring hope to thousands of people waiting for a second chance. Your decision could mean a child returning to school, a parent being there for their family, or a grandparent enjoying precious time with their grandchildren.

Will you consider signing up today and making the gift of life possible for someone in need when you pass away? It takes just two minutes to register your organ donation decision: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/donate/

​How can you help?

• Share this blog and the work of the African Caribbean Kidney Education Enterprise™ (ACKEE) to help inform and educate others, start a conversation about donation in your home, workplace, faith group, and community. Also find us on social media @wearetheackee on all platforms

  
  

• Join the National Health Service Organ Donor Register and tell your family your decision.