“I was overwhelmed with the joy of saving my sister’s life”

Nemonee Stone, age 55, Bury St Edmunds, registered as an organ donor on 15th March 2003, with the hope that her decision would benefit many individuals after her passing. However, her journey took a profound turn when her twin sister, Monienne was diagnosed at 51 with end stage kidney failure, requiring a kidney from a living donor.

After years of illness and treatments from home, Monienne’s need for a kidney became critical. Without hesitation, Nemonee donated her kidney to her sister in October 2022.

Nemonee expressed her appreciation for Addenbrookes and Queen Elizabeth Birmingham Hospital; “The team at both hospitals were fantastic. I was terrified of being put to sleep, but they were brilliant.

I was also worried for Monienne, as she had never had an operation before. I was overwhelmed with the joy of having saved my sister's life.

We are both fine, my sister is doing well, and we are eternally grateful for all the support we received."

Nemonee's dedication extends beyond her personal experience. She participated in the Best Foot Forward Challenge, taking 70,951 steps to support the 70,951 people in the UK being treated for kidney failure, raising £155 for the National Kidney Federation (NKF) charity.

“I saw the NKF’s Best Foot Forward Challenge as an opportunity to raise awareness about live organ donation, particularly within the Black community, where there is a severe shortage of donors on the organ donor register in the United Kingdom,” said Nemonee.

She continued “Live organ donation is an amazing thing to do. Even if you cannot or do not need to donate directly to a relative or spouse, you can still donate to someone else and save a life.”

For more information about the National Kidney Federation visit: www.kidney.org.uk. To learn more about organ donation or to register as a donor, please visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk/