I shared my understanding of organ donation for the first time when I was 13 and in second year of high school. My English teacher had sent the class home with a weekend homework assignment, to write a 500 word essay about something we thought we knew well. Like a hobby or sport we played, or something in our lives that really mattered to us. I chose to write about organ donation and the reason it had become part of my life - And, most importantly, why I wanted more people to become organ donors.

The reason was, it was only a year before that, my mother had suddenly taken kidney failure due to an undetected genetic condition called Alports disease. So I was learning about the importance of organ donation from a new and personal viewpoint. I wasn't particularly good at English but for once that didn’t matter. I just wrote down everything that was going on in my life at the time. My 500 words quickly grew to nearly 1000 and much to my surprise (and my teachers), I got the best grade I’d had that year, by far. My teacher had been visibly moved by what I’d written and had quietly asked, if I’d like to read my essay out to the class. The 13 year old me was too shy to read it out loud, but I agreed that she could, if she really wanted to. And so, she did.

It’s now been 33 years since my A+ in English and in that time my mother and I have had five kidney transplants between us. She having received three transplants through her ongoing fight with Alports disease. And myself receiving two, through having inherited the same Alports disease. My second transplant only being 18 months ago at the time of writing this.

The first time I took kidney failure I was 25 years old and flying high with life. Running and part owning one of Edinburgh’s newest and most popular nightclubs, I was enjoying the spoils that go with the success, life was good and I felt on top of the world. Then, without warning i was floored. I was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with kidney failure.  I was extremely fortunate and received a kidney transplant from the national organ donor register within four months of my need. Although distressing at the time it was over quickly and I was able to move on with my life.

After 14 years of keeping me well, sadly my kidney transplant started showing signs of rejection. I knew what was ahead of me and the realisation that all was not well, hit me harder than the first time.  Not long after this news, my mother got the chance of her third kidney transplant after 18 years on hemodialysis. Although the transplant was a success she sadly passed away due to other complications within a year. Nine months later I had to start dialysis. At the start it was extremely challenging for me emotionally as well as physically, every second day I'd make the journey to the same place, for the same treatment I'd watched my mother suffer for the past 18 years.

I had been been dialysing for around a year and a half when one day, I arrived at the hospital for treatment as usual, to be met by the doctors with the news that a match had been found for me. From an altruistic donor!  Someone, somewhere in the UK, had walked into a hospital and offered to donate one of their kidneys to a stranger in need. I turned out to be their best match and surgery was scheduled for 5 weeks time. Sadly over the following few weeks I fell ill due to complications with my old transplant. My body had started to create new antibodies to fight this problem and so, I was no longer the best match. Surgery for me was cancelled and the donation went on to the next best match. As disappointed as I was for myself, to potentially be on the receiving end of this kind of selfless generosity and kindness from a complete stranger, blew my mind. Still does. It also gave me hope for the future.

After another few years of hemodialysis (every second day attending  hospital for treatment), to my surprise, I was again met by the doctors with the news of a another possible match. This time from a donor on the national organ donor register.  Everything went according to plan and twelve hours later I was in surgery.