Meet the Donor - Lavanya Rathish

In 2011 I donated a kidney to my husband, as I wanted to give him the chance to live a full and active life again.

When my husband was diagnosed with kidney disease, it was a terrible shock. He had always been such a sporty and athletic person and from a young age had participated in a multitude of sports, including badminton.

I had to witness him change from being fit and healthy to weak and ill, virtually overnight. It was traumatic to watch him suffering and I knew, as a wife, that I was duty-bound to help my husband through the toughest time of his life. I couldn’t stand by his side and watch him go through all this pain without doing something to help him.  

(Picture: Lavanya, her husband and children) 

When it became clear that the only chance my husband would have of living a normal life again would be though a kidney transplant, I didn’t hesitate to put myself forward as a donor.  

I was extremely fortunate that, contrary to what people might think, my family overwhelmingly accepted my decision. They understood how grave the situation was and showed no hesitation at all. I will always be truly grateful for that. 

My husband has been healthy and strong following the transplant. Our lives have changed dramatically since then, as we’ve been blessed with two beautiful children and relocated from India to the UK. As a family, we’ve never seen kidney disease as something that restricts us from living a normal life together.  

If I had to tell anyone who is considering organ donation one thing, it would be that you should just do it! There is no better feeling than knowing that there is someone out there in the world, related to you or otherwise, who is living happily because of you.   

Find out more about living donation.