JAQUE STONE from Woolwich, south London, is one of those rare breed of people who are compassionate enough to donate a kidney to a complete stranger. 

Known as altruistic living donors, people like Jaque do not have a recipient in mind but volunteer to donate a kidney to someone who is need of a transplant.

She says: “I decided to become an altruistic donor because I could potentially save someone’s life. I had two kidneys and I only needed one. I was also really moved to act because people of colour face discrimination in health care (especially the United States, where I am from).”

Jaque continues: “This inequity in healthcare is exacerbated by the fact that black people are at higher risk of kidney failure. 

“I think it’s important for the BAME community not to ‘Opt Out’ of the forthcoming Organ Donation Law because last year alone over 630 black people were on the waiting list for a kidney transplant but there were only 25 living kidney donor.”

Miri Vutabwarova, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Living Donation Guy’s Hospital said: “Kidney disease is more common within the BAME groups, this is mainly due to the high rates of diabetes and high blood pressure within this community.

Misinformation and fake news

“The law on organ donation in UK is about to change, many people are opting out without understanding how this can greatly affect them.

“There has been a lot of misinformation and fake news sent around concerning the new laws.

She continued: “I would recommend people reading the official information from the NHS Blood and Transplant website to be best informed.”

GOLD founder Dela Idowu, said: “Our mission is to increase awareness of organ donation and living donation in the BAME community. 

Changing cultural attitudes

“We do this by aiming to change some of the cultural attitudes towards donation and kick start conversations within the black community about organ donation and transplantation.”

I decided to become an altruistic donor because I could potentially save someone’s life. I had two kidneys and I only needed one. I was also really moved to act because people of colour face discrimination in health care 

Jacque Stone

But there is still a stark imbalance between the numbers of black, Asian and minority ethnic donors and those patients in need of a lifesaving transplant.

People from the BAME communities represented eight percent of all deceased donors last year compared with 31 percent of those on the transplant waiting list. 

Although consent rates have risen, with 42 percent saying yes to organ donation when asked in hospitals, still only around half as many black, Asian and minority ethnic families support donation compared with families from a white background.

Click here if you’d like to find out more about becoming a living donor