83-year-old man becomes UK’s oldest living kidney donor

Octogenarian Nicholas Crace has become the oldest living kidney donor in the UK. The 83-year-old, who was widowed last summer, was declared healthy enough to give away a kidney after six months of hospital visits and tests.

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"The surgeon congratulated me on the perfection of my kidneys,” Crace said, adding that medical staff at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth had declared that his kidneys function as well as those of someone in their 40s.

Crace, from Overton, Hampshire, has a long history of altruism. The former charity director has given blood 57 times and is a volunteer driver for the local hospice.

"I cannot remember quite what put the idea of being a living kidney donor into my mind but in September 2011 I thought that it might be worth investigating,” he explained.

"After all, I was in good health, had no dependants and had plenty of time at my disposal.
"Giving a small part of me to someone else will make little difference to my life but a huge difference to someone else's - it was an easy decision for me to make.

Kidneys from live donors tend to perform better and work for longer. Almost 100 people have donated a kidney to a stranger since 2006 and last year a further 1,000 donated to friends and family.

“An altruistic donor coming forward is an amazing thing for us,” explained consultant surgeon Sam Dutta.  “The recipient just gets a new lease of life."

Feeling inspired? Find out more about altruistic kidney donation at the Give a Kidney charity.