Celebrating Living Kidney Donation Week: Paul Dixon's Life-Changing Gift

A volunteer at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) has shared his inspiring story as a living organ donor as part of Living Kidney Donation Week.

Paul Dixon, aged 77, began his journey into organ donation in the 1970s, when a simple blood donation sparked a lifelong commitment to helping others. However, it was a television programme in 2012 featuring former jockey Richard Pitman donating a kidney to a stranger that inspired him to become a living donor

Paul said: "I had never known anyone with kidney disease or who was on dialysis.

"I was fit and healthy, and the idea that I could make such a difference to someone's life stayed with me."

He donated his left kidney on his 65th birthday through the NHS's paired/pooled donation scheme. This scheme allows living donors to "swap" kidneys, helping two patients receive life-saving transplants when a direct match isn't possible.

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

"For me, it was three nights in hospital, but for my recipient, it transformed her life."

Since his donation, Paul has dedicated over a decade to volunteering at both WUTH and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. He actively promotes the NHS Organ Donor Register and has helped over 15,000 people sign up and is a member of WUTH’s Organ Donation Committee. As a passionate advocate for organ donation, Paul regularly participates in events such as the British Transplant Games and continues to raise awareness across the North West.

He said: "Being part of the Organ Donation Committee at WUTH is incredibly rewarding

"I meet patients whose lives have been saved by transplantation, and it makes me so proud to have played a part in that. It's the best thing I've ever done."

Living Kidney Donation Week which runs until 16th March highlights the life-changing impact of living donors, who enable patients with kidney failure to regain their health and quality of life. WUTH encourages staff, patients, and the local community to consider joining the NHS Organ Donor Register and discussing their wishes with loved ones.

To find out more about becoming a living kidney donor, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.