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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| "I bought a new kidney" | "I bought a new kidney" |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Londoner Sukhi Johal paid £30,000 for a kidney transplant operation in Pakistan. | Londoner Sukhi Johal paid £30,000 for a kidney transplant operation in Pakistan. |
| She told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire show why she has no regrets about buying an organ from a live donor - something that is illegal in the UK. | She told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire show why she has no regrets about buying an organ from a live donor - something that is illegal in the UK. |
| Beautician Sukhi was diagnosed with kidney disease when she was 21. | Beautician Sukhi was diagnosed with kidney disease when she was 21. |
| Sukhi, now 46, says she remained relatively healthy until 2007 when her condition worsened. | Sukhi, now 46, says she remained relatively healthy until 2007 when her condition worsened. |
| She began dialysis treatment in the US, where she was based at the time, but found it hard to tolerate after 15 months. | She began dialysis treatment in the US, where she was based at the time, but found it hard to tolerate after 15 months. |
| Suffering | Suffering |
| US doctors said that she would probably have to wait more than 10 years before a suitable donor organ became available. | US doctors said that she would probably have to wait more than 10 years before a suitable donor organ became available. |
| "I wasn't willing to do that," she said. | "I wasn't willing to do that," she said. |
| "I was suffering so much I just felt like I couldn't wait 10 years for a kidney." | "I was suffering so much I just felt like I couldn't wait 10 years for a kidney." |
| Sukhi was put in contact with a family friend who had a paid a donor and undergone a successful transplant in Pakistan, where the sale of a organ is not illegal, provided it is "voluntary, genuinely motivated and without duress or coercion." | Sukhi was put in contact with a family friend who had a paid a donor and undergone a successful transplant in Pakistan, where the sale of a organ is not illegal, provided it is "voluntary, genuinely motivated and without duress or coercion." |
| She also started communicating with a hospital in Pakistan. | She also started communicating with a hospital in Pakistan. |
| A suitable donor was eventually found - a 25-year-old mother of three - and while Sukhi explained that she felt "very apprehensive" about the procedure, she felt the risk was worth taking. | A suitable donor was eventually found - a 25-year-old mother of three - and while Sukhi explained that she felt "very apprehensive" about the procedure, she felt the risk was worth taking. |
| From what I know of my donor, I know she had no home, so she obviously did it because she needed the money and I obviously did it because I needed to get my life back Sukhi Johal | From what I know of my donor, I know she had no home, so she obviously did it because she needed the money and I obviously did it because I needed to get my life back Sukhi Johal |
| "I was willing to play the odds and see what happened," she said. | "I was willing to play the odds and see what happened," she said. |
| "At that point, I wasn't too bothered. | "At that point, I wasn't too bothered. |
| Poverty | Poverty |
| "If it was successful - fantastic - I would have my life back, and if not, I was willing to take that chance." | "If it was successful - fantastic - I would have my life back, and if not, I was willing to take that chance." |
| Although she was concerned about the ethics of paying a donor, she went ahead because "it was a matter of life and death for me". | Although she was concerned about the ethics of paying a donor, she went ahead because "it was a matter of life and death for me". |
| Every transplant unit in the UK, I would suspect, has got a small number of patients who have come back from overseas Professor Peter FriendOxford Transplant Centre | Every transplant unit in the UK, I would suspect, has got a small number of patients who have come back from overseas Professor Peter FriendOxford Transplant Centre |
| She says she feels that the decision to sell an organ is a "personal, individual choice", but acknowledges that poverty can play a big part. | She says she feels that the decision to sell an organ is a "personal, individual choice", but acknowledges that poverty can play a big part. |
| "From what I know of my donor, I know she had no home, so she obviously did it because she needed the money and I obviously did it because I needed to get my life back." | "From what I know of my donor, I know she had no home, so she obviously did it because she needed the money and I obviously did it because I needed to get my life back." |
| Against the hospital's wishes, Sukhi met with her donor before the procedure, which was carried out in December 2008. | Against the hospital's wishes, Sukhi met with her donor before the procedure, which was carried out in December 2008. |
| "Seeing her was very overwhelming for me", she says, "but I felt I was helping her in many ways. | "Seeing her was very overwhelming for me", she says, "but I felt I was helping her in many ways. |
| "She had already made the decision she was going to do it, and she was on the list at the hospital, so if I hadn't chosen to take her kidney, somebody else would have done so." | "She had already made the decision she was going to do it, and she was on the list at the hospital, so if I hadn't chosen to take her kidney, somebody else would have done so." |
| Sukhi returned to the UK after the operation and feels that she now enjoys good health. | Sukhi returned to the UK after the operation and feels that she now enjoys good health. |
| She says she had arranged an additional private payment to the donor and that she plans to fund the education of her donor's children. | She says she had arranged an additional private payment to the donor and that she plans to fund the education of her donor's children. |
| "Exploited" | "Exploited" |
| Sukhi told Victoria Derbyshire that she is talking about her experiences in a bid to encourage the Asian community to donate organs and carry a donor card. | Sukhi told Victoria Derbyshire that she is talking about her experiences in a bid to encourage the Asian community to donate organs and carry a donor card. |
| People from an Asian background are three to four times more likely to need a kidney transplant than the general population. | People from an Asian background are three to four times more likely to need a kidney transplant than the general population. |
| Professor Peter Friend, the director of the Oxford Transplant Centre, told BBC Radio 5 Live that there were several reasons why paid living donor transplants were illegal in many countries, including the UK. | |
| "There are real concerns as to the well-being of the donor, whether they're being coerced, whether they're being exploited, or whether these organs are simply being removed to the benefit - substantially - of the people who are undertaking the business - such as the transplant units, rather than the donor themselves." | "There are real concerns as to the well-being of the donor, whether they're being coerced, whether they're being exploited, or whether these organs are simply being removed to the benefit - substantially - of the people who are undertaking the business - such as the transplant units, rather than the donor themselves." |
| Professor Friend said that the mean waiting time for a first transplant in the UK was around two years, boosted by the practise of paired exchange. | Professor Friend said that the mean waiting time for a first transplant in the UK was around two years, boosted by the practise of paired exchange. |
| He stressed there were risks to the patient as well as the donor of having such procedures abroad. | He stressed there were risks to the patient as well as the donor of having such procedures abroad. |
| "Every transplant unit in the UK, I would suspect, has got a small number of patients who have come back from overseas. | "Every transplant unit in the UK, I would suspect, has got a small number of patients who have come back from overseas. |
| "In some cases it has gone well - but many may have not." | "In some cases it has gone well - but many may have not." |