Kidney Kinship

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.DESCRIPTIONKidney 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.

Recipients, donors and families speak honestly about the conversations that surround living kidney donation; from fear, guilt and cultural misunderstanding to hope, love and second chances.Your host, DJ Ace (Kiss, BBC 1Xtra), is a living kidney recipient himself and guides us through the realities of dialysis and the emotional weight of waiting for a transplant, as artist Sehnaz reflects on nearly two decades hoping for a donor and Belinda shares the exhausting day-to-day reality of life on dialysis.Ali and Angel, successful donors, and Jenni, who got tested for her brother, discuss how they handled talking to their relatives and loved ones about their choice to donate. You’ll hear from living donors navigating difficult family reactions, misinformation and deeply personal decisions about giving a kidney.Together, their stories unpack what donation really involves, how cultural attitudes towards organ donation affect it, and why talking openly can change lives.Kidney Kinship continues to open 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.

Your host, DJ Ace, explores how culture, identity and misinformation influence attitudes towards kidney health and living donation across different communities. Through conversations with donors, recipients and clinicians, the episode examines how misunderstandings around diet, medical processes and ‘who can donate’ can shape decisions and sometimes create fear or mistrust.We hear how lived experience, honest communication and culturally aware conversations can help challenge myths and foster more informed discussions about donation.The episode also reflects on the emotional reality of living with kidney disease, from long-term dialysis to waiting for a transplant, and on what it means to navigate those choices while still holding on to life, hope and resilience.Kidney Kinship continues to open 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.

Living donors share what happens after the decision to donate; from the emotional and physical realities of surgery to the unexpected ways the experience can change a life.We hear from donors Ali, Angel and Prafulla about their personal journeys through testing, matching and recovery, offering an honest look at what becoming a living donor really involves. Together, they discuss fears around surgery, the realities of recovery, the UK Kidney Sharing Scheme and the questions many people are too nervous to ask: Can you still live normally with one kidney? Exercise? Drink alcohol? Have children?Alongside insights from NHS specialists and community advocates, the episode explores how donation can strengthen relationships, shift perspectives and create opportunities for recipients to live fuller lives. From seeing loved ones thrive after transplant to discovering new purpose during recovery, these stories reveal the lasting impact of giving a kidney.Kidney Kinship continues to open 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.

We hear from the people standing beside you on your living donation journeys; the campaigners, siblings, advocates and community voices helping to break the silence around kidney disease in Black, South Asian and mixed heritage communities.Jenni reflects on the emotional impact of learning she could not donate to her brother after undergoing APOL1 testing, while Aisha shares how her family’s search for a donor more than twenty-five years ago sparked a lifelong campaign for awareness and representation in organ donation.The episode also explains the growing conversations around APOL1, a gene linked to increased kidney disease risk in some people of West African heritage, and why research, education and culturally informed healthcare are becoming increasingly important. Through stories from advocates like Candice, Rosaline and Orin Lewis of the ACLT, you will hear how personal experiences of dialysis, transplantation and loss are transforming into community action and lifesaving awareness work.Kidney Kinship continues to open 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.

Faith and Fears explores how personal and cultural beliefs shape how Black, South Asian and mixed-heritage communities think about living kidney donation.DJ Ace speaks with faith leaders, community advocates, donors and recipients about the questions many people quietly carry: Is donation allowed in my faith? What happens to my body in heaven if I give a kidney? And why are these conversations still so difficult in our communities?Through deeply personal stories, Belinda reflects on the loneliness of waiting for practical support while managing life on dialysis. Christian Pastor Kwame and Muslim chaplain Sabir Rahman explain how spiritual guidance can support informed choices, while donor Prafulla shares how her Jain faith strengthened her decision to donate to her niece.Together, these conversations challenge myths, unpack fears, and highlight the life-changing impact of living donation, encouraging communities to move beyond silence and speak openly about health, faith and giving.Kidney Kinship continues to open 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.

In this final episode of Kidney Kinship, DJ Ace brings contributors together at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital for an honest, face-to-face conversation about living with kidney disease, similar to the one you might have with your loved ones. Together, they unpack what donation really involves and why talking openly can change lives. In two small groups, previous guests and new voices respond to clips from the series and share what often goes unsaid. Orin, Jenni and Lisa explore cultural mistrust, family dynamics, misinformation and the need for trusted messengers within global majority communities. The episode also features Candice and Michelle, who reflect on the realities of transplant testing, medication, rejection, menstruation on dialysis, and the emotional weight of asking for or accepting help from loved ones. Through difficult stories and moments of hope, the conversation shows how living donation relies on clear information, community trust and open dialogue.The series ends with a simple call to action: share the podcast, speak with loved ones, support someone living with kidney disease, or explore whether living donation might be right for you. One conversation could help someone feel seen, informed and less afraid about the future.Kidney Kinship continues to open 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.