A woman with life-threatening renal failure was saved by the “greatest gift” a mother could give – her own kidney.

In the days after mothers day and to celebrate the upcoming World Kidney Day this Thursday, Sarah Burt shared her story in order to highlight the importance of organ transplants and raising awareness of life with Chronic Kidney Disease. 

Sarah worked as a nurse when she was diagnosed with kidney failure at 28. She then underwent at-home hemodialysis for two and a half years before receiving a kidney from her mother. The transplant took place on her 31st birthday where she was wheeled to the operation theatre with a balloon tied to her bed. 

Sarah said: “I don’t underestimate the enormity of the great gift she gave to me and I will be forever grateful.”

Paul Revell,  Head of Marketing and Fundraising at the National Kidney Federation, said: “By leveraging World Kidney Day, we can shed light on these critical issues and educate a wider audience about the importance of kidney health and early detection.”

Peter Joynson, 77, trustee and secretary for SAKA  charity, received his kidney transplant from his stepdaughter 16 years ago after living with diabetic kidney failure.

He said; “  I did my best to carry on with normal life,  life doesn’t stop because you get a diagnosis  but I have to confess that sometimes the future looked bleak.”

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a term that covers the different forms, largely referring to any abnormalities occurring in the kidneys. The kidneys are vital organs that work to filter the blood of waste products and toxins. 

Often there aren’t symptoms of CKD, it is usually diagnosed through urine or blood tests. 

The recent announcement of an AI technology that detects and diagnoses patients 6 times faster than a human clinician is one of the many celebrations for World Kidney Day, offering results in less than a minute. 

The creators, Albert Ong, Clinical Lead for Genetics at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and Jonothan Taylor, Principal Scientist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: “ The software has been in use at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s 3D Lab since 2022, with the team saying it could be used in kidney clinics worldwide.”

Transplants are life saving for those with kidney failure, whilst it saves many lives such as Sarah and Peters, the global shortage of donors and  average waitlist  of 2-3 years could be fatal for those without a familial match. 

Sheffield Area Kidney Association (SAKA), offers support and help in forms of financial grants for essential goods, mental health services and supporting research at the Sheffield Kidney Institute. 

For a full range of explanations of all the forms of kidney disease please see: https://www.kidney.org.uk/

For a full lineup of world kidney day, access details, and for support please visit and contact:  https://www.saka.org.uk/