Organ donation: lifesavers like Paul

"In February 2012, I caught the end of a TV programme where the jockey Richard Pitman spoke about donating a kidney to a stranger," says Paul Dixon, a retired car worker from Liverpool.

"My first thought was 'I didn't know you could do that'.

"My second thought was 'Maybe I could do that'!"

77-year-old Paul has been donating blood and has been registered as an organ donor since the early 1970s.

"I considered myself very fortunate," he says. "I had never known or met anyone with kidney disease, kidney failure, or on dialysis treatment. I had never been ill and had always enjoyed exceptionally good health."

Inspired to find out more, Paul contacted his local hospital.

"That same day, I called the Royal Liverpool Hospital and left a message for the living donor coordinator expressing my interest," he says. "They called back for a brief chat and later sent me information explaining the process.

"The following week, I went to meet them and they explained the medical and surgical tests required to ensure I was healthy enough to donate and live with one kidney.

"During my assessment the paired/pooled scheme was explained to me. This is a scheme that enables kidneys from living donors throughout the UK to be 'swapped' for the benefit of patients waiting for a transplant.

"After a year of assessments and tests, the date for my donation was decided and by coincidence they chose my 65th birthday!

"I went into hospital the night before, and on my special birthday I donated my kidney.

"Later the same day I heard the recipient's operation was successful and that the kidney was working well."

Now, 12 years on, Paul reflects on his decision.

"It's amazing how a small amount of inconvenience on my part can make such a huge difference to someone else," he said.

"For me it was three nights in hospital, and I couldn't put my left sock on for a few days, but I was discharged after three nights and was well enough to be back swimming 14 days later.

"A few months later I received a lovely 'thank you' card from my recipient. She explained that she now had the vitality she'd had ten years earlier, and because of my wonderful gift, her husband's life and hers had changed 'immeasurably'."

Paul is now an NHS Organ Donation Ambassador and a Buddy for the UK Living Kidney Donation Support Service.

Find out more about living kidney donation and the support available today.