Jay Chuntamongkol, a 33-year-old doctor in Glasgow, is searching for a third kidney donor after receiving life-saving transplants from his father and uncle more than 20 years ago. Born with a rare birth defect, interrupted aortic arch (IAA), Jay underwent emergency surgery as a newborn and two more operations by age four months. Despite a normal childhood, his kidneys began failing around age 10.
Family Donations
Jay's father donated a kidney at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, then the world's largest transplant centre. When that transplant failed months later, his uncle stepped in, donating a kidney that lasted over 20 years. Jay expressed gratitude: "I'm very grateful. And when you're not the parent, it's an even bigger sacrifice, and a bigger kindness. [My uncle] knows I'm thankful."
Current Situation
Jay moved to Scotland to study at St Andrews and began practising as a doctor in Glasgow in 2018. About four years ago, his uncle's kidney began to fail due to immune rejection. He now receives dialysis three times a week for four to five hours at the New Victoria Hospital. Potential transplants have fallen through, including one where a cardiac arrest victim was revived, cancelling the donation.
Despite working almost full-time, Jay struggles with mental health: "When I started dialysis recently, that's when it's really been messing with my head. At first I tried to push it down and just keep working... I put on that facade for a year or more. The fatigue after is fine, but my main problem is that I was missing out on life."
Support and Search
Jay took a year's break in Thailand, where another possible transplant fell through, before returning to Glasgow. He credits his friends, girlfriend, and workplace for support. His mother, Parnkae Nandavisai, campaigns for a donor via the website 'Kidney for Jay'. Jay said: "I find that it's easier not to have hope. It's easier for me to say 'this is my life now, this is the routine, and I should get on with it.'" He urges potential donors to inform their families of their wishes.
