Eric Douglin raises awareness of the importance of organ donation. He shares his personal story on how receiving a kidney has impacted his life.
In January 2021, I will celebrate the 11th anniversary of receiving a kidney from my wife and the fantastic Gift of Life I was given on that day.
I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2004. What followed were years of undergoing medication and therapies to try and manage the condition. In March 2008, my consultant at Guys Hospital, Mr Pattison, confirmed I needed to have a life-saving kidney transplant.
Due to the nature of the condition (sclerosis of the kidney), I was advised it could be passed to my children. This meant, therefore, none of our four children could become donors.
Mandi, my wife, generously offered to donate her kidney to me, and in January 2010, we had a successful transplant.
At the time, Mandi’s response to why she wanted to donate her kidney to me was, “Well anyone would do it, wouldn’t they? I have two kidneys you need one, so it’s an easy decision, your children and grandchildren need you in their life, as do I”
What is remarkable is that Mandi, who is white, and I (am black) were almost a perfect match. To date, there have been no complications or issues to speak of.
Raising awareness and fundraising
As a result of my Gift of Life, I felt it was my duty to do something to give something back to the organ donation community, and I decided to raise awareness for organ donors and funding for organ donation charities and organisations.
As I got involved in various organ donation charities, and organisations, I was shocked to discover there was a lack of black people in the UK registered to become donors.
Figures show that 20 black people donated organs after they died in 2019, and 25 black people donated a kidney as a living donor. In contrast, there were 630 black patients in need of a life-saving transplant. Sadly, 19 of those died while on the transplant waiting list, making it evident that black donors are urgently needed to help end the wait and raising awareness of this is the key.
Black families are less likely to say yes to organ donation when approached in hospitals. In 2018, 32 percent agreed to donate a loved one’s organs compared with 70 percent of white families and 40 percent of Asian families. This is due to lack of awareness, cultural stigma in addition to many other issues.
To raise awareness and encourage black donors Mandi & I are involved in several charities set up to support black people considering becoming organ donors. These include The Gift of Life Donation (GOLD) and the African Community Leukaemia Trust as well as supporting Kidney Research UK and NHS Organ Donation.
World Club Basketball Tournament
In 2015 I founded the annual World Club Basketball Tournament which we host annually in East Sussex. The tournament has been a platform that enables me to share my journey through sports, raise awareness for organ donors and encourage people to join the organ donor register.
WCBT is now seen as the UK’s number 1 international basketball tournament and is a great vehicle to raise awareness about the devastating effects of kidney disease.
I believe it is important to share my story to provide a personal experience perspective to allow people to see the positives of organ donations, and how a Gift of Life impacts others.
Reaching 10 years as a kidney transplant recipient is a fantastic milestone, and there are many occasions when I am alone that I think how fortunate I have been, to receive the Gift of Life. The feeling of gratitude and guilt overwhelms me, and I am looking forward to many more years ahead.
Joyful experiences
It has enabled me to enjoy many experiences. It means I have been able to attend my eldest son Craig’s wedding in May (2017). I’ve watched my actress daughter pursuing her acting career and star in prominent TV shows and adverts. The ability to follow my son Rhys’s adventures whilst he completed his dream job working abroad, and see my son Bradley start a clothing line business.
The best feeling I have had was being able to celebrate the birth of our fifth grandchild this year, 3 of whom were born since I had the transplant. That really put things into perspective; the fact they can know their grandfather, and I can see my grandchildren grow.
What I have discovered over the years is that being a kidney donor recipient, is a blessing that you can never fully express gratitude for no matter how hard you try. I am forever thanking my wife or trying ways to pay her back, buts it’s an impossible task.
I am eternally grateful and more fortunate than most people waiting on the organ donation register. However, I am fully aware ‘MEric the kidney’ (Yes Mandi & I named it) is only a temporary fix, and I may need another transplant at some stage. Therefore, the fight to raise awareness for organ donors will always continue.
To find out more about organ donation please visit organdonation.nhs.uk
