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• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Donor families >> Mick and Natalie - Interview 30 >> Mick and Natalie's son was transferred to a second hospital, where doctors told them that he’d had a brain haemorrhage. He was given surgery but, sadl

Mick and Natalie’s son sadly died of a brain haemorrhage in 2004, aged 8. He gave the gift of life to three people, who received a kidney, liver and heart valves.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Holly - Interview 08 >> Holly expected it to be busy when she got to the hospital. Instead, she waited for an hour before having dialysis and tests. The kidney transplant sur

Holly was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2005, aged 17. After 3½ years of waiting, she had a transplant in 2008 when she was 21. She is now a trustee of the charity, ‘Life Life Then Give Life’.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Hardev - Interview 39 >> Hardev wasn’t worried about what would happen to him or his daughter. Being a Sikh chaplain, he had a very strong faith. He believed they would both b

Hardev was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and faced the prospect of life on dialysis. He had a kidney transplant in 2008, aged 68. The donor was his younger daughter. He is now very well and active in charity work.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Diana - Interview 03 >> Diana felt disorientated at first. She had lots of drains and tubes. Several days later, she felt dreadful and didn’t know how she’d stand up to get i

Diana had a heart and lung transplant in 2002, aged 46. She had a lot of sickness for about four months and felt depressed. She started feeling better after about six months and, over eight years on, is very well.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Cheryl - Interview 24 >> Not long after coming round, Cheryl saw her mother looking at her from behind a glass partition. They both noticed she looked pink and healthy. Cheryl

Cheryl was born with transposition of the great vessels. In 1995, she had a heart and lung transplant, aged 36. She had severe depression a year later, but has been well and enjoying life since then.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Chris - Interview 29 >> About ten days after surgery, Chris had a terrible pain in his hip. He was taken into theatre again and the kidney was removed. He’d had an infection

In 2008, Chris had a kidney transplant, aged 49. Complications meant that this kidney had to be removed. In 2009, he had a second transplant, with a kidney donated by his brother. Both of them recovered well.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Helen - Interview 23 >> Gradually, the drips and tubes were removed and Helen was encouraged to start walking. She needed help and the nurses were fantastic. Once she was tra

Helen had cystic fibrosis since childhood, which got worse as she got older. She had a lung and liver transplant in 2006, aged 34, and has been very well since then.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Diana - Interview 03 >> Diana had vomiting for four months until finally it was controlled with medication. She felt that the drugs and her anxiety could have been better man

Diana had a heart and lung transplant in 2002, aged 46. She had a lot of sickness for about four months and felt depressed. She started feeling better after about six months and, over eight years on, is very well.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Recipients >> Hardev - Interview 39 >> Hardev felt that the care he was given was perfect. He was also given a number to call if he had any problems when he got home.

Hardev was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and faced the prospect of life on dialysis. He had a kidney transplant in 2008, aged 68. The donor was his younger daughter. He is now very well and active in charity work.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Paul - Interview 34 >> Paul was given a date for surgery soon after approval. His first operation was cancelled, however, because the recipient was too ill. Another recipien

Paul donated a kidney to an anonymous recipient in 2008, when he was 53. He is now involved in an organisation that aims to raise awareness of living kidney donation.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Di - Interview 31 >> Di had more blood and urine tests, an x-ray and an ECG. She also met some of the medical staff who’d be involved in her care. The doctor explained the

Di donated a kidney to an anonymous recipient in 2010, when she was 58. She found the experience very enriching but would have liked better communication and more information.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Chris - Interview 32 >> Chris went into hospital the night before the operation. The anaesthetist explained everything in detail, though Chris just wanted to get on and have

Chris donated a kidney to an anonymous recipient in 2010, when he was 72. Both he and the recipient recovered well. Chris is now involved in a new organisation that aims to raise awareness of living kidney donation.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Darren - Interview 02 >> Darren was given a DVD and booklet about organ donation, which included recipients’ and donors’ experiences. He would have liked a DVD of the procedur

In 2010, Darren donated a kidney to his 19-year-old daughter. Both recovered well, though he would have liked more information about reimbursement for loss of wages.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Annabel - Interview 28 >> Annabel described what happened at the hospital. She had some tests the night before. After surgery, there was very little pain but walking was uncomf

Annabel donated a kidney to a friend in 2007, when she was 60. She and her friend are both well. Annabel is now involved in setting up a group that aims to raise awareness of living kidney donation.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Paul - Interview 34 >> Paul was in pain when he came round but this was dealt with quickly. He hadn’t slept well and had a bit of discomfort. He had the operation on a Frida

Paul donated a kidney to an anonymous recipient in 2008, when he was 53. He is now involved in an organisation that aims to raise awareness of living kidney donation.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Darren - Interview 02 >> Darren had a bad stomach pain and vomiting. He turned out to have pleuritic chest pain. When he drank lots of water and abstained from eating, he star

In 2010, Darren donated a kidney to his 19-year-old daughter. Both recovered well, though he would have liked more information about reimbursement for loss of wages.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Harmanjit - Interview 38 >> Harmanjit reacted to the morphine and the pain medication had to be changed. A patient she’d met the night before held her hand and supported her when

Harmanjit donated a kidney to her father in 2008, when she was 29. He was 68 at the time and faced the prospect of dialysis. Both of them recovered well. Harmanjit is now keen to raise awareness of kidney donation amongst British South Asians.

• Organ donation & transplant >> Organ donation >> Living donors >> Margo - Interview 01 >> Margo had ‘open’ surgery in 1997. She praised the care she and her brother had received. The morphine made her feel sick but everything went smoothly

Margo donated a kidney to her younger brother in 1997, when she was 48 and they were both living in America. The surgery went smoothly and, over thirteen years on, both she and her brother are well.