Latest news with #organdonation
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Living kidney donor 'will give our son a new life'
Amrit Paul was in the middle of his computer science exams when he was told by doctors he would need a kidney transplant. "It was a shock. I didn't really know how to handle it and, in all honesty, I went into a shell," he said. He was placed on the organ donation register almost five years ago, having been diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease aged four. Amrit undergoes nine hours of peritoneal dialysis each night, a method of blood purification used when kidneys fail. "People say I look fine, but under the hood there are a lot of problems," the 24-year-old said. Now he and his parents are appealing for a living kidney donor from the South Asian community to come forward. 'Debunk myths' "Feeling your body change as your organs start to decline is tough," added Amrit, who works remotely in software sales. "My family are my motivation, they've been so supportive." Amrit's mum Jatinder Paul is leading their campaign. Their poster reads: "Please, help us find an angel for Amrit." Their appeal comes as NHS Blood and Transplant reveals that a record number of people are waiting for a life-saving transplant in the UK. When Amrit's immediate family, who are Indian Punjabi, discovered they were unable to donate, they also became aware of the shortage of matching donors from global majority backgrounds. "As a parent, it's hard not being able to donate because of your own health issues," said Jatinder. "So you reach out to the wider community and ask if there's someone who can help give him his life back." Dr Rhys Evans, clinical lead for kidney transplantation at Royal Free London, where Amrit is receiving care, said ethnicity can play a significant role in how long a patient waits. "Unfortunately, for patients like Amrit who has blood group B, which is more common in South Asian and Black ethnic groups it often means a longer wait, because there are fewer donors from those communities," he said. As of 31 March 2025, more than 8,000 people were on the active transplant waiting list across the UK - the highest number ever recorded. Over 1,300 of those patients are based in London. In the capital, the number of deceased organ donors fell last year to 130, down from 154 the previous year. Fiona Loud, policy director at charity Kidney Care UK, said greater awareness and conversation within ethnic minority communities is vital. "Sadly, every day at least one person dies waiting for a transplant. This has to change," she said. "People from Black and South Asian communities are more likely to need a donor from the same background as them so that the organ is less likely to be rejected. "Talking about it and sharing your decision helps debunk myths and makes your wishes clear to loved ones." Funding for more black and Asian blood donors Lack of ethnic diversity among egg and sperm donors Couple donate stem cells in 'rare' double match Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, is also urging people to register their wishes. "We are facing an incredibly concerning situation. More people than ever are waiting for transplants, but fewer donations are taking place," he said. "We need to act across all areas - modernising the Organ Donor Register, improving understanding of the law, and investing in technologies that preserve and treat organs." Despite the difficulties and uncertainty about whether a donor will come forward, the family say they remain hopeful. "We want to spread the word, bring awareness and find a match," said Jatinder. "He's focused on living a normal life, and that's what gives us the strength to keep going as a unit." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to NHS: Become a living donor
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Living kidney donor 'will give our son a new life'
Amrit Paul was in the middle of his computer science exams when he was told by doctors he would need a kidney transplant. "It was a shock. I didn't really know how to handle it and, in all honesty, I went into a shell," he said. He was placed on the organ donation register almost five years ago, having been diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease aged four. Amrit undergoes nine hours of peritoneal dialysis each night, a method of blood purification used when kidneys fail. "People say I look fine, but under the hood there are a lot of problems," the 24-year-old said. Now he and his parents are appealing for a living kidney donor from the South Asian community to come forward. 'Debunk myths' "Feeling your body change as your organs start to decline is tough," added Amrit, who works remotely in software sales. "My family are my motivation, they've been so supportive." Amrit's mum Jatinder Paul is leading their campaign. Their poster reads: "Please, help us find an angel for Amrit." Their appeal comes as NHS Blood and Transplant reveals that a record number of people are waiting for a life-saving transplant in the UK. When Amrit's immediate family, who are Indian Punjabi, discovered they were unable to donate, they also became aware of the shortage of matching donors from global majority backgrounds. "As a parent, it's hard not being able to donate because of your own health issues," said Jatinder. "So you reach out to the wider community and ask if there's someone who can help give him his life back." Dr Rhys Evans, clinical lead for kidney transplantation at Royal Free London, where Amrit is receiving care, said ethnicity can play a significant role in how long a patient waits. "Unfortunately, for patients like Amrit who has blood group B, which is more common in South Asian and Black ethnic groups it often means a longer wait, because there are fewer donors from those communities," he said. As of 31 March 2025, more than 8,000 people were on the active transplant waiting list across the UK - the highest number ever recorded. Over 1,300 of those patients are based in London. In the capital, the number of deceased organ donors fell last year to 130, down from 154 the previous year. Fiona Loud, policy director at charity Kidney Care UK, said greater awareness and conversation within ethnic minority communities is vital. "Sadly, every day at least one person dies waiting for a transplant. This has to change," she said. "People from Black and South Asian communities are more likely to need a donor from the same background as them so that the organ is less likely to be rejected. "Talking about it and sharing your decision helps debunk myths and makes your wishes clear to loved ones." Funding for more black and Asian blood donors Lack of ethnic diversity among egg and sperm donors Couple donate stem cells in 'rare' double match Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, is also urging people to register their wishes. "We are facing an incredibly concerning situation. More people than ever are waiting for transplants, but fewer donations are taking place," he said. "We need to act across all areas - modernising the Organ Donor Register, improving understanding of the law, and investing in technologies that preserve and treat organs." Despite the difficulties and uncertainty about whether a donor will come forward, the family say they remain hopeful. "We want to spread the word, bring awareness and find a match," said Jatinder. "He's focused on living a normal life, and that's what gives us the strength to keep going as a unit." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to NHS: Become a living donor
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Mum seeks living kidney donor from the South Asian community
Amrit Paul was in the middle of his computer science exams when he was told by doctors he would need a kidney transplant."It was a shock. I didn't really know how to handle it and, in all honesty, I went into a shell," he was placed on the organ donation register almost five years ago, having been diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease aged undergoes nine hours of peritoneal dialysis each night, a method of blood purification used when kidneys fail. "People say I look fine, but under the hood there are a lot of problems," the 24-year-old he and his parents are appealing for a living kidney donor from the South Asian community to come forward. 'Debunk myths' "Feeling your body change as your organs start to decline is tough," added Amrit, who works remotely in software sales."My family are my motivation, they've been so supportive."Amrit's mum Jatinder Paul is leading their campaign. Their poster reads: "Please, help us find an angel for Amrit."Their appeal comes as NHS Blood and Transplant reveals that a record number of people are waiting for a life-saving transplant in the UK. When Amrit's immediate family, who are Indian Punjabi, discovered they were unable to donate, they also became aware of the shortage of matching donors from global majority backgrounds."As a parent, it's hard not being able to donate because of your own health issues," said Jatinder."So you reach out to the wider community and ask if there's someone who can help give him his life back." Dr Rhys Evans, clinical lead for kidney transplantation at Royal Free London, where Amrit is receiving care, said ethnicity can play a significant role in how long a patient waits."Unfortunately, for patients like Amrit who has blood group B, which is more common in South Asian and Black ethnic groups it often means a longer wait, because there are fewer donors from those communities," he of 31 March 2025, more than 8,000 people were on the active transplant waiting list across the UK - the highest number ever recorded. Over 1,300 of those patients are based in the capital, the number of deceased organ donors fell last year to 130, down from 154 the previous year. Fiona Loud, policy director at charity Kidney Care UK, said greater awareness and conversation within ethnic minority communities is vital."Sadly, every day at least one person dies waiting for a transplant. This has to change," she said."People from Black and South Asian communities are more likely to need a donor from the same background as them so that the organ is less likely to be rejected. "Talking about it and sharing your decision helps debunk myths and makes your wishes clear to loved ones." Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, is also urging people to register their wishes."We are facing an incredibly concerning situation. More people than ever are waiting for transplants, but fewer donations are taking place," he said."We need to act across all areas - modernising the Organ Donor Register, improving understanding of the law, and investing in technologies that preserve and treat organs." Despite the difficulties and uncertainty about whether a donor will come forward, the family say they remain hopeful."We want to spread the word, bring awareness and find a match," said Jatinder. "He's focused on living a normal life, and that's what gives us the strength to keep going as a unit."
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Researchers try new ways of preserving more hearts for transplants
Two university hospitals are pioneering new ways to expand lifesaving heart transplants for adults and babies — advances that could help recover would-be heart donations that too often go unused. The new research aims to overcome barriers for using organs from someone who dies when their heart stops. Called DCD, or donation after circulatory death, it involves a controversial recovery technique or the use of expensive machines. Surgeons at Duke and Vanderbilt universities reported Wednesday that they've separately devised simpler approaches to retrieve those hearts. In the New England Journal of Medicine, they described successfully transplanting hearts to a 3-month-old infant at Duke and three men at Vanderbilt. 'These DCD hearts work just as well as hearts from brain-dead donors,' said Vanderbilt lead author Dr. Aaron M. Williams. How hearts are saved for donation Most transplanted hearts come from donors who are brain dead. In those situations, the body is left on a ventilator that keeps the heart beating until the organs are removed. Circulatory death occurs when someone has a nonsurvivable brain injury but because all brain function hasn't ceased, the family decides to withdraw life support and the heart stops. That means organs can spend a while without oxygen before being recovered, a time lag usually doable for kidneys and other organs but that can raise questions about the quality of hearts. To counter damage and determine whether DCD organs are usable, surgeons can pump blood and oxygen to the deceased donor's abdominal and chest organs — after clamping off access to the brain. But it's ethically controversial to artificially restore circulation even temporarily and some hospitals prohibit that technique, called normothermic regional perfusion, or NRP. Another option is to 'reanimate' DCD organs in a machine that pumps blood and nutrients on the way to the transplant hospital. The machines are expensive and complex, and Duke's Dr. Joseph Turek said the devices can't be used for young children's small hearts — the age group with the most dire need. New ways of preserving hearts Turek's team found a middle ground: Remove the heart and attach some tubes of oxygen and blood to briefly assess its ability to function — not in a machine but on a sterile table in the operating room. They practiced with piglets. Then came the real test. At another hospital, life support was about to be withdrawn from a 1-month-old whose family wanted to donate — and who would be a good match for a 3-month-old Duke patient in desperate need of a new heart. The other hospital didn't allow the controversial NRP recovery technique but let Turek's team test the experimental alternative. It took just five minutes to tell 'the coronary arteries are filling well, it's pink, it's beating,' Turek said. The team promptly put the little heart on ice and raced it back to Duke. Vanderbilt's system is even simpler: Infuse the heart with a nutrient-rich, cold preservative solution before removing it from the donor's body, similar to how hearts from brain-dead donors are handled. That 'replenishes the nutrients that are depleted during the dying process and helps protect it for transport,' Williams explained, adding that Vanderbilt has performed about 25 such transplants so far. 'Our view is you don't necessarily need to reanimate the heart.' More donated hearts are needed There's a huge need for more transplantable hearts. Hundreds of thousands of adults suffer from advanced heart failure, yet many are never even offered a transplant because of the organ shortage. Every year about 700 children in the U.S. are added to the transplant list for a new heart and about 20% die waiting. Turek said infants are at particular risk. Last year, people whose lives ended via circulatory death made up 43% of the nation's deceased donors — but just 793 of the 4,572 heart transplants. That's why many specialists say finding ways to use more of those hearts is crucial. The new studies are small and early-stage but promising, said Brendan Parent of NYU Langone Health, who directs transplant ethics and policy research. ' Innovation to find ways to recover organs successfully after circulatory death are essential for reducing the organ shortage,' he said. If alternatives pan out, 'I absolutely think that cardiac programs will be thrilled, especially at hospitals that have rejected NRP.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Washington Post
16-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Researchers try new ways of preserving more hearts for transplants
WASHINGTON — Two university hospitals are pioneering new ways to expand lifesaving heart transplants for adults and babies — advances that could help recover would-be heart donations that too often go unused. The new research aims to overcome barriers for using organs from someone who dies when their heart stops. Called DCD, or donation after circulatory death , it involves a controversial recovery technique or the use of expensive machines.
