You will save a life, there’s no greater kindness or positive change for a person, their whānau and the wider community than the gift of life.
There are approximately 600 people in New Zealand waiting for a kidney transplant. About 180 transplants were performed last year in New Zealand. Some patients had to come off the waiting list because they became too sick for a transplant.
The average waiting time for a deceased donor kidney transplant is between three and four years. The time it takes to be transplanted can be greatly reduced if the patient receives a live donor transplant.
In the Midland region we have about 85 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list and this number is growing every year. In 2018, 29 Midland region patients received a kidney transplant. 12 of these patients received a live donor kidney from either a friend or whānau.
Kidney disease is more common in Māori and over half the patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the Midland region identify as Māori.
Live donation is however less common. This is not simply because fewer people come forward; it is because many potential donors have health issues of their own.
We need all hapu, iwi, and whānau to start the kōrero and consider if you have two healthy kidneys, could you GIVE ONE and GIFT LIFE with a live kidney donation?
If you are interested in donating a kidney a renal physician will explain the procedure and the risks of the surgery to you. Please contact the Regional Renal Centre on 0800 77 22 99 ask to speak to a renal transplant coordinator. |
A transplant increases both the quality and quantity of the recipient’s life. The person who receives your kidney will no longer need dialysis and will be able to enjoy a more normal life.
If you are healthy you can become a donor. A live donor kidney on average lasts 15 years.
You can’t be a donor if you:
There is financial compensation for those eligible live organ donors who take unpaid leave from work to have surgery and recover.
For more information visit the Ministry of Health website.
These are good sites for more information about the kidney and being a live kidney donor:
“I saved a man’s life called Te.
“Te’s gone on to have children and it gives me a warm feeling to know my kidney is good, still strong and giving Te freedom to live a full life with his whānau.
“Our journey started back in 2012. I was his boss at Spring Hill Corrections Facility. I had worked with Te for over two years and didn’t know he was sick or that he was actually dialysing due to renal failure. Something I had to Google, and was shocked at what lay ahead for his kōrero.
“I asked if he was in line for a kidney, and he replied, “Yes, but there are hundreds of people ahead of me, things are not looking too good”.
“It broke my heart to see such a great man with a beautiful soul, suffering. He was dialysing three times a week, for four hours a day, trying to keep his life together.
“So I said, “I’ve got 2 you can have 1”.
“I had never thought about a live kidney donation until I saw Te suffering. When I knew I could help save his life nothing was going to stop me.
“I have a daily reminder of our journey, my scar – I am so proud of. I love it because it is a symbol of a life saved and a life created.”
“Today, I challenge my people to re-think traditional views on organ donation at the Marae and at big iwi hui/gatherings because we have to change the way we think because our
people are dying. We have to think about live kidney donation – to save lives.
“My life was saved on 27 August 2014 with a kidney transplant from Nicci.
“To go to work every day and feel well is such a massive gift, which people take for granted; to get
rid of the dialysis machine was a beautiful day all thanks to the kindness of my donor.
“Nicci approached me at work one day and asked: “What’s wrong with you?”. I told her I was on
the waiting list for a kidney transplant and she immediately said, “I want to be your donor”.
“I was shocked and couldn’t believe an almost stranger was willing to give me their kidney. Nicci even took it upon herself to find out how to begin this journey and organise the testing process.
“Me and my whānau, we are so grateful to Nicci for her life-saving gift and always will be. Her gift meant that we could be blessed with another child.
“It turns out Nicci and I also share the same whakapapa, and I truly believe in some way our ancestors brought us together and this was meant to happen.
“Live donation was a serious topic of discussion among whānau members because of their cultural views on taking another person’s body part. This is why we were first hesitant about Nicci’s offer, but after this experience if your loved one is ill and there is an option for life, you have to grasp it.”