'No fewer than four sisters wanted to be kidney donors'

Herman: ‘It had been hanging over my head for years: due to my kidney disease, IgA nephropathy, I would eventually need a kidney transplant. I have 5 sisters, and one of them said during a family day: when the time comes, you can have my kidney.’

‘The other 3 sisters spontaneously joined her and also signed up as donors. I was deeply moved by that. The generosity! I felt like a huge lucky duck. But deciding who it would be was quite a dilemma for my sisters.’

Pros and cons

Gerdie, Herman's sister: ‘Why not? That’s how I thought about donating a kidney to Herman. If I can help someone, I want to do it. But there were three other sisters. Who it should be was quite a difficult choice. One sister wanted to donate but was the least of a medical match. Another sister felt she had to protect Herman and therefore excluded someone else.’

‘In the end, we put all the pros and cons together in an open conversation and decided it should be me. And I haven't regretted it for a day. I am very happy that Herman is back in the middle of life because of the transplant.’

Happy with a kidney from our Ger

Ultimately, it was Gerdie. 'She went through the donation process with flying colors. Gerben from the Radboudumc (medical social worker, ed.) guided that process excellently. But for me, it didn't go smoothly. I was hospitalized nine times with complications. But now, four years after the surgery, everything is fine. And that kidney from our Ger has managed just fine all this time.’

Donating a kidney is your own choice

Ellen van Ommen (kidney specialist Radboudumc): ‘As a doctor, I assess whether a donor is medically eligible for donation. But ultimately, it is always up to the donor themselves to say yes or no. I think this is perhaps the most important thing when I talk to people who might want to become donors.’

I always say: 'Even if you are a perfect match as a donor, even if your mother or brother would be so happy with it, you don't have to do it.' So it's not just about whether you are medically suitable. There is a good team of social workers and nurse practitioners to help people decide.’