King’s patient able to live a full life thanks to older organ donor

22 September 2025 - “I would encourage everyone in the family, whatever your age, to have a conversation about organ donation”

A woman from Croydon has called for everyone, including older people, to consider organ donation, and to share their wishes with their families.

Forty-six-year-old Hilary Patel was 22 when she was diagnosed Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune disease that affects the liver and can lead to liver failure.

Initially, Hilary had mild symptoms and her condition was managed with medication, but after several years of treatment her body no longer responded to the drugs and her liver began to fail. She was put on the liver transplant list in autumn 2015.

After 10 unsuccessful organ offers to find a suitable donor, and a diagnosis of severe sepsis and organ failure, a liver was found. Hilary underwent a liver transplant at King’s College Hospital, under the care of Liver Transplant Surgeon, Professor Krishna Menon, in December 2015.

Following the transplant, Hilary, as is standard practice, was given minimal details about her donor– just that her donor was male and 63 at the time of his death. It was important to Hilary and her family that her donor’s family knew how grateful they were for the decision the donor and his family made. They wrote to the donor’s family, via the hospital and NHS Blood and Transplant service. At the same time, the donor’s family had also wanted to share a bit more about their loved one. Hilary found out that her donor’s name was Chris; that he was a much-loved husband and father, and he had a desire for helping others, not only in life but also in death.

Talking about her transplant, Hilary, who is now Regional Chair of the Organ Donation Committee on a voluntary basis, said, “Thanks to organ donation, I have been given the gift of life. I’ve been able to return to my job in the civil service and progress in my career. I’ve also been able to volunteer my time to highlight the importance of organ donation, as well as travel the world and see my loved ones get married and start families and I’ve been able to be an auntie and great auntie.

“Organ donation only works due to the generosity and bravery of donors and their families who are willing to pause their grieving to think about helping save the lives of complete strangers.

“Families are always involved before organ donation goes ahead, so I would encourage everyone in the family, whatever your age, to have a conversation about organ donation, so that when the time comes your family are certain about what you want. That conversation could be the most powerful thing you ever do to help others. It’s Organ Donation Week so the perfect time to consider talking about it to your loved ones.”

Professor Krishna Menon (pictured), Consultant Liver Transplant and Hepatobilary Surgeon at King’s and President of the British Transplantation Society, who performed Hilary’s transplant, said, “Hilary is a prime example of someone who is with us today thanks to the generosity of organ donation. Her donor was 63 and had made his wishes clear to his family, who respectfully carried them out.

“Age doesn’t have to be a barrier to organ donation. Clearly, there is criteria that has to be met but we have transplanted organs from donors in their early eighties, and our oldest recipient was 74.”

Professor Menon added, “Around 15 percent of patients on the transplant list sadly die while awaiting an organ. However, family members can be assessed to check whether they are compatible, and help save their loved one’s life. I believe living donor liver transplantation provides a major opportunity to save the lives of some patients who risk dying while waiting on the list.

King’s Liver Transplant Unit runs one of the largest transplantation programme in Europe, and carries out more than 250 transplants a year.