A TEENAGER has come forward to offer his kidney to a man he doesn't know who suffers from a life-threatening condition.
Riz Iqbal, 19, of Malvern Road, West Bridgford, contacted the Post after reading about 33-year-old Kieran Meht who has waited 13 years for a transplant.
He is one of 11 people who have contacted the Post since it launched an appeal last week.
Riz, who works as a call centre agent for Domestic and General said: "I give blood anyway, I like to help people anywhere I can.
"It's just the way I am, it's the way it should be - I don't believe there should be these borders.
"I don't see him as a stranger, I see it as another life - it's a personal view that I know not everyone is going to share.
"Whether it's a stranger or not, you're helping someone at the end of the day."
Kieran was diagnosed with renal failure when he was four and has had two kidney transplants, including one from his mother, but both have failed.
The best match for him would be someone from the Asian community.
The donor process starts with a phone interview with a specialist nurse who will make a brief assessment before detailed testing begins.
This will take a number of months to complete and sometimes unrecognised medical problems can be found.
Donors enter the process voluntarily and can withdraw at any time.
The decision to donate should be considered carefully and donors are strongly advised to involve family members in decision making.
Anyone who wants to donate will need to have two good kidneys and be fit enough for major surgery.
In addition, Kieran will need a well-matched donor because of antibodies he has developed from previous transplants.
Staff from the Living Donor Team at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust have emphasised that the chance of finding Kieran a compatible donor is small but they may still be able to help by entering into a national exchange scheme.
A spokesman said: "In this, attempts would be made to match them to another recipient, whose donor is compatible with Kieran.
"Potential donors should also consider that if none of these options are possible, they could still donate their kidney anonymously to help another patient somewhere in the UK to come off dialysis and achieve a better quality of life."
Another person to have offered a kidney is Boysie Powell, 52, of Seaton Crescent, Aspley.
Mr Powell knows Kieran through a local gym and was shocked to hear about his friend's health.
Although Mr Powell's ethnic background does not match he is willing to make a donation anyway.
He said: "It's something I would be interested in.
"I've got healthy kidneys, if I can help somebody prolong their life then why not?"
Kieran, of Beeston Fields Drive, Beeston said: "I think it's amazing, if it doesn't match mine, it could help save another person's life which is just as important or even more important especially if it's a child.
"It's incredible that so many people have come forward and I just hope it carries on."
