As six people in the UK die each week while waiting for a kidney transplant, a London woman is speaking out about her decision to donate a kidney to her best friend of 50 years—hoping her story will inspire others to consider becoming living donors.
Gita Shah, from Barnet, gave the ultimate gift in 2017 when she donated a kidney to her friend Swetal, who was living with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Without a transplant, Swetal faced a future of life-limiting dialysis treatment. Until that moment, Gita had no idea that kidney donation was even possible while alive. Now, she is raising awareness to encourage others to step forward and help those in need.
Sharing her story as part of the Make Your Mark campaign—a partnership between two leading UK kidney charities—Gita hopes to highlight the urgent need for more living donors.
“Swetal and I have been close friends since we were teenagers, over 50 years ago. When she told our friendship group she needed a kidney, I was shocked. I almost laughed at first—I didn’t even know you could donate a kidney while you were alive!” she recalled.
While most kidney transplants come from deceased donors, a shortage of organs means thousands of people face long, uncertain waits for a suitable match. Currently, more than 6,000 people in the UK are waiting for a kidney, and a third of all transplants now come from living donors. Not only do transplants from living donors have a higher success rate, but they can also last many years longer.
For Gita, the decision to donate was partly inspired by her late father, who had been a
blood donor for his premature nephews.
“He passed away 22 years ago, but whenever I see my cousins, now in their 50s, I’m reminded of what he did. That stayed with me. When I realised, I could do something similar for Swetal, it just felt right.”
Research by the Make Your Mark campaign revealed that 55% of UK adults would consider donating a kidney to a family member, while 13% would even consider donating to a stranger. If more people came forward, not only could lives be saved, but significant NHS costs could also be reduced by avoiding expensive and restrictive dialysis treatment.
Jan Shorrock, who donated a kidney herself in 2013 and is part of the campaign, highlighted the life-changing impact of living donors.
“Despite our best efforts, six people die every week waiting for a kidney transplant. Donations from people like Gita are transformative. If her story inspires even a few people to consider donation, it could make a huge difference to those living with kidney disease and waiting for that life-changing phone call.”
Since the transplant, Gita has witnessed the remarkable change in Swetal’s quality of life.
“I’ve seen first-hand how the transplant has given Swetal a new lease of life. I don’t think what I did was extraordinary—it was something I was able to do, so I did it. I’m just happy I was in a position to help.”
For more information on living kidney donation, visit www.donateakidney.co.uk.
