Kidney Kinship is a six-part podcast series that explores living kidney donation through the experiences of donors, recipients, families, clinicians, faith leaders and community advocates. Hosted by kidney transplant recipient DJ Ace, the series covers dialysis, donor testing, life after donation, culture, faith, family conversations and the realities of living with kidney disease in Black, South Asian and mixed-heritage communities.
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Kidney Kinship is a six-part podcast series about living kidney donation, kidney disease and the conversations surrounding the decision to give or receive a kidney.
Hosted by radio DJ and kidney transplant recipient DJ Ace, the series brings together living donors, transplant recipients, people waiting for a kidney, family members, NHS specialists, faith leaders and community advocates. Their experiences offer an honest account of what living donation involves, from first conversations and donor testing to surgery, recovery and life with one kidney.
Across the series, contributors explore the emotional reality of kidney failure and dialysis, the challenges of asking someone for a kidney, family reactions to donation and the questions prospective donors often have about their own health and future. Donors share what led them to step forward, how they approached testing and surgery, and how donation has affected their lives afterwards.
Kidney Kinship also examines the role culture, identity and trust play in decisions about organ donation. Contributors from Black, South Asian and mixed-heritage communities discuss misinformation, healthcare mistrust, representation, cultural expectations and the importance of receiving information from people who understand their communities.
Faith forms another important part of the conversation. Christian, Muslim and Jain contributors discuss how religious belief, spiritual guidance and service to others influence attitudes towards giving a kidney. Faith leaders also explore how churches, mosques and other community spaces support people facing difficult health decisions.
The series explains some of the medical processes involved in living donation, including donor assessment, matching, the UK Kidney Sharing Scheme and APOL1 testing. It also explores what happens when someone steps forward to donate but finds they are unable to continue, showing how advocacy, peer support and raising awareness still make a difference.
Throughout Kidney Kinship, people living with kidney disease speak openly about dialysis, fatigue, transplant medication, rejection and the impact kidney disease has on everyday life. Their stories sit alongside the experiences of donors whose decisions have given recipients opportunities to work, travel, build relationships and plan for the future.
At its heart, Kidney Kinship encourages conversation. Speak with your family. Ask questions. Learn from trusted sources. Support someone living with kidney disease. Find out what living donation involves. A conversation might help someone feel better informed and more confident about the choices ahead.
Kidney Kinship opens up honest conversations around living donation in Black, South Asian and mixed-heritage communities, helping people feel informed, supported and stronger together for better health and communities.
Kidney Kinship is a podcast making us stronger together for better health and communities. For more information, visit guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/living-donor.
This series was produced by Unedited in partnership with the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and supported by the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.
© 2026 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. All rights reserved.
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