Sheffield dad saved twice by kidney transplants speaks over longest ever waiting list
For Sam Blackburn, 40, from Halfway in Sheffield, years on dialysis and two kidney transplants have made every day a battle for survival as thousands wait for lifesaving organs in South Yorkshire and beyond.
South Yorkshire is facing record numbers of patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) reveals more than 8,000 people are currently on the UK waiting list – including 138 in South Yorkshire.
Over the past decade, more than 12,000 people in the UK, and 85 from South Yorkshire, have died before receiving a transplant.
On average, more than three people a day die or become too ill to receive the organ they desperately need.
Anthony Clarkson, director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHSBT, said: “Someone will die today waiting for an organ transplant. We need people to register their decision and talk to their families – it only takes two minutes, but it could save lives.”
For Sam Blackburn, 40, from Halfway in Sheffield, organ donation has been life-changing.
Born with chronic renal failure, Sam has endured decades of kidney problems, including two transplants – in 2007 and 2017 – and years on dialysis.
“Life on dialysis was very restricted,” he said.
“I had to plug in for 12 hours every night, plus every four to six hours during the day. I would have to plan everything, and I’m not a planner - I couldn’t have a late night if it meant I missed my dialysis.
“It was constantly on my mind. I still worked full-time and travelled, but getting a transplant meant I could live fully,
Sam also described how this transplant allowed him to survive his childhood condition and get married in 2018, and later welcome a baby girl.
Sam describes a transplant as a long-term treatment rather than a permanent cure:
“There’s no shelf life – it could last minutes or 35 years, which is why I needed a second one.
To those currently on the wait list, he said:
“You have to take it as it comes and be mentally prepared for the wait. It’s the world’s longest waiting game but you have to trust you’ will get there, and be ready when the time comes.”
He praised the NHS paired kidney exchange programme, which enabled him to receive a compatible organ even when his brother’s kidney was no longer a match.
“That service on the NHS is absolutely phenomenal. It was a three way switcheroo across the country – I tell people my brother gave me the kidney, but the programme made it possible. It saved my life.”
Despite his illness, Sam maintained a sense of normality, attending Sheffield United games throughout dialysis.
“Football was my release from the mundane. Now I can enjoy it without worrying about treatment – it’s amazing to have that freedom.”
His main request is that families talk openly about organ donation: “The opt-out policy is great, but only if your family knows your wishes. It’s a morbid conversation, but it’s necessary.
Under the ‘opt-out’ system, donation can still only go ahead with the family’s support.
Not all patients are as fortunate as Sam was.
In Scarborough, five-year-old Thalia-Beau Wright died waiting for a heart and lung transplant.
Her grandmother Christine Johnson said: “There are so many beautiful lives like Thalia’s that can be saved. If nothing more can be done for you, you can give the gift of life to somebody else – it leaves the most positive legacy.”
The figures highlight the urgent need for more organ donors across Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and the UK, as families like Sam’s and Thalia-Beau’s navigate the hope and heartbreak of the transplant waiting list.