Brendan, who turns 60 next month, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2021 after routine blood tests flagged concerns during a GP registration. What began as a quiet warning soon escalated into a life-changing reality.
“We only learnt of Brendan’s poor kidneys when registering with a new GP,” said his wife, Christine. “Routine tests were done on both of us, and Brendan’s results saw him referred to the kidney clinic at Morriston Hospital. A couple of years later, his kidney function worsened, and he was referred to the transplant centre in Cardiff.”
By October 2024, Brendan was officially placed on the transplant list. Christine had hoped to become a living donor, but was told she wasn’t suitable. Despite the diagnosis, Brendan has remained active — continuing to run regularly, though his doctors have advised him to scale back.
“The Swansea Half Marathon in June was Brendan’s last long-distance run,” Christine said. “He found it tough and had to walk a lot. But staying fit is important to him — it’s part of how he copes.”
A Growing Crisis
Brendan’s story is one of thousands. According to the Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Activity Report, 8,096 patients were on the active transplant list as of 31 March 2025, with another 3,883 temporarily suspended due to illness or availability. Around 80% of those waiting need a kidney.
Last year, 463 patients died waiting, and 911 were removed from the list due to deteriorating health. While 235 people in Wales received transplants — up from 207 the year before — the number of deceased donors across the UK fell by 7%, and transplants dropped by 2%.
In Wales, there was a modest increase in deceased donors — 73 people donated after death, compared to 65 the previous year — but consent rates remain low at 57%, meaning many families still choose not to proceed with donation.
“Make Your Wishes Known”
Christine is now urging others to register their decision and talk to loved ones.
“Your death is going to be a difficult time for your family,” she said. “Save them from having to ask, ‘Would he or she have wanted to be an organ donor?’ Register and tell them your wishes.”
Under Wales’s opt-out system, donation can still only go ahead with family support — making conversations about organ donation more important than ever.
NHS Calls for Action
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, said:
“We are facing an incredibly concerning situation. More people than ever are waiting, but fewer donations are taking place. Tragically, someone will die today waiting for a transplant.”
He added that 60% of people who donated after death were on the NHS Organ Donor Register, making family conversations easier and more likely to result in donation.
The NHS is now working to modernise the Organ Donor Register, clarify the law, and invest in new technologies to improve transplant success rates — including research into drugs that protect kidneys during the transplant process.
To register your decision or learn more, visit the NHS Organ Donation website, call 0300 123 23 23, or use the NHS app.
I bet most people will think that ‘presumed consent’ as operated in Wales means that only opting out requires action from them.
This article was a bit of a surprise to me and maybe others who are reading it and thinking with presumed consent there should be lots of kidneys available to this man and others.