Paul Hawthorne, 70, from Stratford-upon-Avon, donated his left kidney to a stranger in 2024. The transplant took place at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and was successful. The recipient is a woman living in the south of England, though the two have never met.
Personal inspiration behind the donation
Paul was inspired by his late wife, Claire, who died of breast cancer 10 years ago. During her illness, she helped many other women with cancer through support groups and charity events. 'She was a very giving person. I wanted to do something good in her memory,' he said.
His journey began when he received an email from the blood bank, where he already donated regularly, asking if he had considered organ donation. 'I'm a curious person,' said Paul, 'so the next minute I was filling out forms and heading for a hospital check-up.'
Doubts and family support
Doubts arose when his daughter-in-law, a nurse, questioned his choice. 'She made me stop and think about what I was doing. What if one of my grandchildren needs a kidney in future? In the end, I thought if "I don't do it now, I never will". I could spend my whole life wondering,' he said. After that, his family supported him, and his daughter-in-law cared for him during recovery.
Paul's decision was cemented when he learned his donation would unlock a chain of donations. In a kidney transplant chain, family members who cannot match a loved one use an altruistic donor like Paul, and in return commit to donating a kidney to someone else.
Surgery and recovery
On the day of surgery, six other kidney operations were happening alongside his own – three donors and three recipients. Paul's donation had unlocked the chain for those donations. While chatting to an 80-year-old man on the same ward who was having dialysis, Paul understood the impact. The man had waited years for a donor, and dialysis affected every part of his life, including diet and travel. 'That kind of blew me away. I did cry a bit,' Paul confessed.
Before surgery, Paul underwent scans, blood tests, and psychological evaluations. He was even injected with radioactive fluid to check kidney function, which he called 'the best MOT your body can have'. Doctors reported he had perfect kidneys. When told he could change his mind, he said: 'I'm a Harley Davidson rider. That's more dangerous than anything you're going to do to me!'
Recovery was smooth for Paul, a plasterer by trade. He had about 10 weeks off work and found boredom the hardest part. His friends at the Harley Owners Group chapter in Birmingham kept his spirits up. 'They're a bunch of hairy bikers, with big hearts who've been so supportive. They gave me an award for Outstanding Contribution to Mankind. And I was in tears!' he said.
Reflecting on saving a life, Paul said his youngest son, Nathen, told him: 'you're not only changing one person's life, Dad, it's their whole family too.'
