Dad-of-six motivated by friend’s health struggle donates kidney in Sheffield and saves stranger’s life

Leigh Harrison saved a stranger’s life by donating his kidney in Sheffield, motivated after learning of a friend who had kidney failure and was undergoing dialysis.

The 52-year-old angler turned out not to be a direct match for his friend, but decided to still donate to an unknown recipient, undergoing the operation at the Northern General Hospital in July.

Leigh, who has six children, said: "After my children being born, it’s by far the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, not just because I have helped people get a donation with my kidney but because it’s also benefited my own health and wellbeing."

Just three weeks after his operation, Leigh returned to angling and had one of the biggest competition wins of his career, catching 47 lbs of bream on the River Trent. 

He added: "I also have a lifelong friend who is now recovering well after his transplant, and we shall have many fishing adventures together in the future, as we had before the operation."

Leigh, from Nottinghamshire, enrolled on the organ register as soon as he was old enough to, and has regularly given blood. When he was younger, he met a colleague who was a donor recipient.

"He was brilliant and was extremely grateful for the extra life he was given. I really valued getting to know him and there is no doubt that his experiences left a lasting impression on me all those years ago," he said.

Following tests to match his tissue and physical and psychological evaluations, Leigh’s operation was scheduled for July 5, 2023. He left the hospital as planned after a 3-day stay.

He added: "All the staff have been absolutely brilliant; you couldn’t wish for better. Everything is utterly professional and absolutely world class and the whole process has been so good, I cannot really put it into words."

"I’ve had massive health benefits as well, which sounds a bit strange when you’ve given an organ away, but it’s absolutely true. I’ve had to get fit for the operation, lose a little bit of weight, eat healthily, cut my alcohol consumption and mentally prepare for it too," he added.