A compassionate nurse who could not donate her kidney to her ailing husband chose to give it to a stranger at the very hospital where she works, on the same day her spouse received his own transplant.
Selfless Act of Kindness
Filipinas Nercua initially offered to donate a kidney to her husband Cesar, who had been suffering from polycystic kidney disease and diabetes, conditions that necessitated a transplant. However, tests revealed that their blood groups were incompatible, ruling out a direct donation.
Undeterred, Filipinas decided to participate in the NHS Kidney Sharing Scheme. Through this programme, she donated her kidney to an unknown recipient, while her husband received a compatible kidney from another altruistic donor. Both operations were performed by the same surgeon, Dr Abbas Ghazanfar, at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, where Filipinas works as a nurse.
A Day of Dual Surgeries
Filipinas, then 50, underwent surgery in the morning to donate her kidney to a stranger. That same afternoon, Cesar, then 51, received his new kidney. The couple, married for 27 years and parents to three children, were both recovering in the same hospital simultaneously.
Reflecting on her decision, Filipinas said: "I saw the way Cesar was suffering because he needed a new kidney. Watching him decline was so hard that deciding to donate my kidney to someone else was made easy. I couldn't bear the thought of someone else going through what Cesar was going through."
Cesar, a healthcare assistant at another trust, had experienced a gradual deterioration in kidney function over many years. His symptoms included breathlessness, which prevented the couple from enjoying their usual walks together.
The NHS Kidney Sharing Scheme
Filipinas' incredible act took place in October 2023 and was made possible through the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme (UKLKSS), operated by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). This programme facilitates kidney transplants when a willing donor is not a direct match for their intended recipient. It pairs couples in similar situations across the country, enabling multiple transplants to occur simultaneously.
According to NHSBT, there is currently a record high of over 8,200 people awaiting an organ transplant in the UK, with approximately 6,500 specifically in need of a kidney. During 2024-2025, 964 adult living-donor kidney transplants were performed across the UK, 125 of which were facilitated through the UKLKSS.
Recovery and Reflection
Filipinas was discharged just three days after her surgery, while Cesar spent a week in hospital. Both have since made a full recovery. Filipinas noted the dramatic improvement in her husband's health: "The difference since he's had his transplant is shocking. We can do so much more now and enjoy our long walks."
She also expressed gratitude for the scheme: "We were close already but this has definitely brought us closer. I didn't only give Cesar my heart – I gave him a kidney too, in a roundabout way. There's a stranger out there who has given Cesar a new lease of life and, in turn, I have also given a different stranger a new lease of life. I would urge more people to sign up to the scheme – it's a great way of passing the kindness on."
Dr Abbas Ghazanfar, who carried out both procedures, praised Filipinas: "At St. George's, we regularly participate in the scheme to help our patients receive a compatible kidney through a living kidney transplant. Filipinas is an incredible and kind person. She donated her kidney to a stranger in exchange for getting a kidney back for her husband. It was a meticulous process involving three centres, resulting in three successful kidney transplants and saving three lives."
