Living kidney donor who ‘was ready to die for stranger’ saved little girl’s life

George Cannon, from Ramsgate in Kent, saw a post on social media when he was 18 from someone who had donated a kidney, feeling as though it was “really nice” of the donor.

George, who is studying to be a chartered accountant, said the idea “stuck with” him, and by September 2023, having just turned 23, he was on the operating table “getting cut up”.

Although he experienced some discomfort after the procedure, saying some of the medication “didn’t sit well” with him, he feels he is now as fit and healthy as ever, exercising five times a week.

Furthermore, in April 2024 George received two cards – one from the “little girl” who received his left kidney, and another from her parents saying “thank you, we’ve got our little girl back”.

George will attend an installation at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent on Friday, which involves others who have donated a kidney to a stranger standing in a shop window, to highlight the need for more living kidney donors in the UK – and he said if he can convince one person to donate “it would make it all even more worth it”.

“It was just the idea of helping someone that much,” George told PA Real Life.

“A lot of these people haven’t done it to themselves – my kidney went to a little girl who’s done nothing at all wrong.

“It’s not a risk free surgery because none of them are, and I was ready to go into that for someone I’d never met – that puts a lot of things into perspective and does build confidence.

“A lot of people go through life only thinking about themselves and being very selfish, and don’t get me wrong I am selfish at times, but it made me think more about other people and not just about myself.”

When he was just 18, a post on social media from someone who had donated a kidney caught George’s eye.

“I read a story about someone who had done it, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s really nice of them’,” he said.

“It sort of just stuck with me – every so often I’d think about it and do a little bit of research.

“And it must have been December 2022, I finally thought ‘that’s it. I’m going to look into it a bit more and email the NHS.”

In February 2023, two months after getting in contact with the NHS kidney donation website, George had his first appointment in London, followed by around five months of blood tests, kidney scans and X-Rays.

In late August that year, he was contacted and asked if he could travel to London to have his left kidney removed – and on September 15 he went under the knife at Guy’s Hospital.

“Being an accountant a lot of the people I’m close with are very rational people and thought it was a bit of a silly idea,” he said.

“I think once everyone saw how committed I was, they quickly understood that this isn’t me just coming up with a silly idea, it’s something I was actually committed with, and then they were 100% supportive.”

Asked what his emotions were before his surgery, George said: “I was absolutely dedicated at that point.

“For me personally there was no backing out of it, I know I could have at any point… but from my mindset it was ‘there’s a person out there, whoever it is, that needs this and will not survive without it.’”

The night before the surgery, George said he went for a walk and watched the sunset to prepare himself for what was to come.

“I genuinely thought ‘this could be my last sunset’ if this all goes wrong,” he said.

“But I was okay with that and I’d fully accepted it because it’s helping someone else and going to a good cause.”

George was told afterwards that both his operation and the recipient’s surgery had gone well – although he struggled with discomfort afterwards due to the medication.

“Unfortunately some of the medication didn’t sit well with me, so I was in a lot of pain,” he said.

“I was only in the hospital for I think two days, and then I was allowed to go home.

“For me it was quite uncomfortable. Whatever (the medication) was it didn’t sit well with me, so I was weaned off that quite early and had to make do with paracetamol and ibuprofen.”

While he did not know where his kidney was going, in April 2024 George found out “a little girl” had received his kidney.

“I got two cards, one from the girl saying ‘thank you’ and one from the parents saying ‘thank you, we’ve got our little girl back’ and it was just everything I could have asked for,” he said.

“I wasn’t expecting to hear anything at all, part of the process is they prepare you that you might not hear anything.

“You might never know what happens, or worst case scenario it fails and the person passes anyway – but it’s best case scenario, it’s gone to someone who will be able to make the most of it.”

George, who did not drink or smoke before the procedure, said he remains fit and healthy, exercising “five or six times a week” and drinking “a little bit more water”.

While he said “nothing has changed” relating to his health, George did say the experience has made him more confident.

“If I was having any sort of interview previously I would have been absolutely terrified,” he said.

“It has put things in perspective because I was essentially ready to die for this stranger if anything went wrong.”

George said it is “a bit of a shame” more young people are not becoming living donors, but said he hopes to convince just “one person” to donate.

He will be taking part in an installation at Bluewater Shopping Centre on Friday where he and other living donors will stand in a shop window to get the attention of passers-by to encourage them to find out more.

“If I can convince one person who didn’t think about it before to donate, then that is another life saved, another little girl who wouldn’t have been able to live her life before is now able to go around and play with her friends.

“It would make it all even more worth it.”

George is supporting the Make Your Mark campaign to encourage more people to consider living kidney donation.

To find out more visit www.donateakidney.co.uk