Altruistic donors offer organs to strangers

22 March 2006

Tonight, a remarkable Christchurch woman will speak publicly about her decision to donate a kidney to someone she had never met.

Christchurch Hospital has performed seven kidney transplants from altruistic live donors since 1998 and has two more planned.

No other centre in New Zealand has yet done such a transplant, although Wellington plans its first this year.

One of the Christchurch success stories began with an offer from Jacqui Lewis, who will speak of her experience at a lecture series in Christchurch tonight.

The healthy 41-year-old was spurred into action after hearing a public plea for a kidney from a man in advanced kidney failure.

His tale was not unusual – about 1700 New Zealanders are on dialysis with little more than 100 transplants performed each year – but it struck a chord with Lewis, who made a decision to offer one of her own organs to whoever most needed it. "It seemed a simple solution."

"It was absolutely fine. I never had a problem," she said.

She said she did not suffer any pain, and two and a half weeks later was ready to return to work.

Unexpectedly, Lewis met the woman who received her kidney at a thanksgiving service held at Christ Church Cathedral. An overheard conversation led to the connection.

"The amazing thing was hearing how it didn't just change her life but her family's life," she said.

Lewis, who converted to Christianity six years ago, denied she was unusually selfless. "Just because you do one unselfish thing doesn't make you an unselfish person, I can be selfish about some things, just like everybody else."

Two years on, Lewis had no regrets. "If I had another spare I would happily do it again. It really wasn't such a big deal."

She would not want to be paid.

"The reward for me is knowing that I made a real difference in someone else's life. The knowledge of that will last my lifetime. Although it's an intangible, it's more real than a financial reward," she said.

Christchurch nephrologist Martin Searle said the ethical issues of altruistic donation had deterred other centres, but he believed that everything possible should be done to improve a patient's chance of a transplant.

Kidney Foundation education manager Carmel Gregan-Ford said the charity would like to see altruistic donations accepted at all centres in New Zealand. "I get about seven to 10 calls a month from people wanting to make altruistic donations ... I think that's great."

Many were prompted by media reports about people who needed a kidney, Gregan-Ford said.

Wellington nephrologist and National Renal Advisory Board chairman Grant Pidgeon said ethical issues had now been worked through and Wellington was likely to do its first altruistic transplant this year.

"These transplants would not have been considered at all 10 years ago. It's a completely unnecessary operation and it's major surgery, so you can't deny there is risk involved," he said.

But increasing demand and falling donor rates had increased pressure to find alternatives.

New Zealand's organ donor rates were among the worst in the world at fewer than 10 donors per million people. Australia's rate was nearly 11 per million, Ireland's was 23 and the Spanish stood at 35.

In 2003, United States Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary Becker said kidney waiting lists could be eliminated if donors were offered $23,000.

Iran eliminated its waiting lists by offering kidney donors substantial payments.

An international black market for kidneys exists, where the desperate and wealthy can pay up to $300,000 for a kidney.

Typically, donors lived in developing countries and saw only a fraction of the money charged.

Otago School of Medicine's professor of medical ethics Grant Gillett said paying for kidneys risked exploiting the poor.

However, he did not see an ethical dilemma in altruistic organ donation.

"We don't stop people joining search and rescue or being lifeguards on beaches," he said.

"All of those people are putting their bodies on the line to help others."

Death or Dialysis, Both Best Avoided, is the title of tonight's Health Lecture Series by Christchurch Hospital nephrologist Martin Searle. Kidney donor Jacqui Lewis will also speak at the Rolleston Lecture Theatre, Christchurch School of Medicine, Riccarton Avenue, from 7.30pm.

courtesy of the Christchurch Press - www.stuff.co.nz