There will be talks from people who have donated a kidney either to someone they love or to someone they don’t know on the UK transplant waiting list. As well as speakers who have received a kidney from a living donor, and specialist clinicians, including the Lead Nurse for Living Donation in the UK, Lisa Burnapp.
Kidney Care UK Policy Director, Fiona Loud, who has received a kidney from a living donor and will be speaking at the event, lives in St Albans. She said “Every single day three people die waiting for a transplant and around 80% of those who are waiting are waiting for a kidney. There has been a lot of focus on organ donation recently, but we still see that not many people realise that you can donate a kidney when you are alive”.
Jan Shorrock of Give a Kidney, will also be speaking at the event, she added: “Many people still don’t realise that in the same way you can donate blood or stem cells to someone in need, most healthy people can also step forward to donate a kidney. Around 1000 people each year donate in this way in the UK, and around 100 of these donate to someone they do not know, just whoever needs it on the waiting list. Donating a kidney to a stranger can ‘trigger’ a chain of up to three transplants – so these kinds of donations are incredibly valuable.”
All are welcome, please join us.