Ali Dawson, a former student at King's College, donated a kidney to his former teacher Sonia, who had been living with polycystic kidney disease. The transplant took place in May 2017 at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, and the pair now describe themselves as 'brother and sister'.
How the donation came about
Sonia had been Ali's radiography teacher, but he was unaware of her illness until she posted about it on social media in 2016, when she was in advanced kidney failure and undergoing dialysis. Ali, from Tooting, told MyLondon: "I reached out to Sonia asking her, 'What's going on?' And she told me about her condition. I asked if there was anybody they could test to see if they were a match, and she replied, 'This isn't the sort of thing you ask someone'."
Sonia recalled: "I remember I said I don't have anyone to do a test. And I will always remember this - he asked me, 'What blood type are you?' We found out that we were both blood type O. Immediately, he said, 'I'll do the test'."
She added: "At the time, I hadn't seen Ali for five years and he instantly said he would do it. My sister didn't believe it. We met up after a few days. I was crying and kept telling him he didn't have to do it because it's such a big thing to ask."
The transplant and recovery
Ali was adamant about taking the test, and results confirmed he was a match. After the successful transplant, Sonia now refers to the donated kidney as 'Mini-Ali'. Next year, they will celebrate 10 years since the operation.
Ali said: "I remember Sonia as my teacher and she was always really kind. She spent a lot of time with us and I always remembered that. There was something in my heart that made me want to do it. Now I see her as my sister."
He also described their shared recovery: "Usually, we were the doctors, but this was our first time being patients together. We stayed in the same hospital, on different wards, but made sure to speak all the time while recovering. We had a bet in the hospital, whoever got better first, had to come and see the other first."
Broader context of organ donation
According to NHS Blood + Transplant, a third of people waiting for a kidney transplant in the UK are from Black, Asian and global majority heritage. Black people can wait on average six months longer for an organ transplant than other people in the UK. Kidneys are matched by blood and tissue type, and the best match is often people of the same ethnicity, but donors who match are in short supply.
Sonia recognises her fortune, especially as her twin also has polycystic kidney disease and has been caring for her. Sonia said: "As a patient and carer of someone with kidney disease, it's emotional. My sister got a transplant but the kidney failed. She's had to go back onto the waiting list after waiting four years for a transplant. I was very lucky. My kidneys function, and I am aware of this gift of life [that I've got]."
She added: "Organ donation makes such a huge difference. I'm a donor myself. People need to have those conversations with their families about what they would want to do after they die. I think it's a gift of life for someone else if something happens to you. It's a very personal choice."
Looking forward
Ali and Sonia hope to help change the lack of information around organ donation. Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital has launched a podcast, Kidney Kinship, which highlights the experiences of kidney donors, recipients, clinical experts and faith leaders.
Sonia said: "I honestly speak to Ali every single day. He's my brother. Except for my twin, he's the second most important person in my life. For him to do this for me, and know what my sister is going through, I'm truly blessed to have him."
