![\"Amrit](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/48d0\/live\/235016f0-5f02-11f0-a15e-a511f8d34832.jpg.webp\")
Amrit Paul<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nAmrit Paul was in the middle of his computer science exams when he was told by doctors he would need a kidney transplant.<\/p>\n “It was a shock. I didn’t really know how to handle it and, in all honesty, I went into a shell,” he said.<\/p>\n He was placed on the organ donation register almost five years ago, having been diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease aged four.<\/p>\n Amrit undergoes nine hours of peritoneal dialysis each night, a method of blood purification used when kidneys fail. <\/p>\n “People say I look fine, but under the hood there are a lot of problems,” the 24-year-old said.<\/p>\n Now he and his parents are appealing for a living kidney donor from the South Asian community to come forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Feeling your body change as your organs start to decline is tough,” added Amrit, who works remotely in software sales.<\/p>\n “My family are my motivation, they’ve been so supportive.”<\/p>\n Amrit’s mum Jatinder Paul is leading their campaign. Their poster reads: “Please, help us find an angel for Amrit.”<\/p>\n Their appeal comes as NHS Blood and Transplant reveals that a record number of people are waiting for a life-saving transplant in the UK.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When Amrit’s immediate family, who are Indian Punjabi, discovered they were unable to donate, they also became aware of the shortage of matching donors from global majority backgrounds.<\/p>\n “As a parent, it’s hard not being able to donate because of your own health issues,” said Jatinder.<\/p>\n “So you reach out to the wider community and ask if there’s someone who can help give him his life back.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dr Rhys Evans, clinical lead for kidney transplantation at Royal Free London, where Amrit is receiving care, said ethnicity can play a significant role in how long a patient waits.<\/p>\n “Unfortunately, for patients like Amrit who has blood group B, which is more common in South Asian and Black ethnic groups it often means a longer wait, because there are fewer donors from those communities,” he said.<\/p>\n As of 31 March 2025, more than 8,000 people were on the active transplant waiting list across the UK – the highest number ever recorded. Over 1,300 of those patients are based in London.<\/p>\n In the capital, the number of deceased organ donors fell last year to 130, down from 154 the previous year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fiona Loud, policy director at charity Kidney Care UK, said greater awareness and conversation within ethnic minority communities is vital.<\/p>\n “Sadly, every day at least one person dies waiting for a transplant. This has to change,” she said.<\/p>\n “People from Black and South Asian communities are more likely to need a donor from the same background as them so that the organ is less likely to be rejected. <\/p>\n “Talking about it and sharing your decision helps debunk myths and makes your wishes clear to loved ones.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, is also urging people to register their wishes.<\/p>\n “We are facing an incredibly concerning situation. More people than ever are waiting for transplants, but fewer donations are taking place,” he said.<\/p>\n “We need to act across all areas – modernising the Organ Donor Register, improving understanding of the law, and investing in technologies that preserve and treat organs.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Despite the difficulties and uncertainty about whether a donor will come forward, the family say they remain hopeful.<\/p>\n “We want to spread the word, bring awareness and find a match,” said Jatinder. <\/p>\n “He’s focused on living a normal life, and that’s what gives us the strength to keep going as a unit.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Debunk myths’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Amrit Paul<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Kidney](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/24f6\/live\/aa1818a0-5fc4-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp\")
Kidney Care UK<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n