http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/health/local-health/thank-you-lunch-thrown-by-oldest-altruistic-kidney-donor-1-5501003

Thank you lunch thrown by oldest altruistic kidney donor

SIX donors who have each given one of their kidneys to a stranger, are throwing a party for staff at Queen Alexandra Hospital's renal team.

Nicholas Crace, became the oldest living altruistic kidney donor when he had the operation aged 83. Altruistic donation is when the organ is given to a stranger.

Surgeons from the Wessex Renal and Transplantation Service, at QA, performed the three-hour procedure.

Five other generous donors have also been operated on by the same service.

And to say thank you to the team at QA, Mr Crace is hosting a lunch party at his home this Saturday.

Lucy Chester, living donor transplant co-ordinator at QA, will be at the party.

She said: 'They are definitely life's Samaritans. It comes very naturally to them, while much of the population looks at in horror.'

Annabel Ferriman is from the Give a Kidney – One's Enough charity, which is dedicated to raising awareness of altruistic donation.

She said: 'Altruistic donors are very special people.

'They have the imagination to understand the suffering that people go through on dialysis while waiting for a transplant and the courage and generosity to do something about it.'

Mr Crace decided to donate his kidney because he wanted to help others after the death of his wife.

He could not carry on donating blood.