I'm hoping to give away a kidney

By Bob Irving
Retired minister, Devon

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time and it was only after reading about it in my newspaper and seeing it on the television news, that finally made me decide I definitely wanted to become a living donor.

I like doing things like this that'll help other people - instead of just sitting back and waiting for something to happen, I want to get out and do something about it - be proactive.

The major surgery doesn't faze me. I like going into hospital and I've had umpteen operations of different sorts, the last two were for a hernia and on my prostate.

Being in hospital is fun, you're the centre of attention and I'll be very well looked after morning, noon and night. So who's complaining?

I've been very well briefed by the hospital staff and I've got a large envelope full of leaflets and pamphlets and a DVD explaining all about the operation itself as well as any possible drawbacks.

I know my wife Pat and my daughter Jo are slightly worried about what I'm doing but I'll be seeing a clinical psychologist to see if I'm of sound mind.

Bob with his daughter Jo. He'll be disappointed if he can't donate

I will also have to have an electrocardiograph, a heart monitor as well as a urine analysis.

There's a whole list of things I have to go through to make sure I'm not giving a dodgy kidney to somebody else.

The whole process will mean I'll be really well monitored by the medical profession and it will take a few months from start to finish.

But at the end of the day if the hospital say no I will be bitterly disappointed.

As Shakespeare said in Macbeth: "I've screwed my courage to the sticking-place," so I really want to go ahead with this.