If I had three kidneys I would donate again, says GP

A retired GP who gave a kidney to a stranger has said she would repeat the act if she "had a third kidney", after taking part in a charity's new campaign film.

Selma Asghar, from Cambridge, underwent surgery in 2024 to donate a kidney to an unknown person on the transplant waiting list.

Asghar said she was inspired to donate after reading about someone doing the same in their 80s.

"At that time I was in my late 50s and I thought 'Well that's it, then, there's no age limit to this' [and] my mind was made up," she explained.

Asghar is sharing her story with Kidney Research UK and Give a Kidney charities - which have joined forces for the Robert Dangoor Partnership for Living Kidney Donation.

"I was able to get back to cycling and running after four weeks and returned to work as a GP after two months," she said.

"It is a huge privilege to be able to give a kidney and I can honestly say if I had a third kidney I would do it all again."

Jan Shorrock, from the campaign, said: "Selma's story illustrates how ordinary people can do something truly life-changing for someone in need."

In September, NHS Blood and Transplant figures showed deceased donation rates were 9% lower than at the same point last year, while the UK transplant waiting list had reached a record high.

It also found the number of patients of South Asian heritage had increased dramatically and typically have to wait longer for a donation compared with the UK average.

Organs are matched by blood and tissue type, so the closest match often comes from a donor of similar ancestry.

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