A stranger’s kidney donation helps three people leave dialysis

Three people in Spain were able to stop dialysis, a treatment that takes over some of the kidneys’ work, after Francisco Falcón’s donation to a stranger set off a chain of transplants. Doctors at the Hospital Universitario de Canarias in Tenerife said all three received kidneys on the same day.

Falcón, from Gran Canaria, had no connection to any of the recipients. His kidney went to a patient whose intended donor was not a compatible match. That donor then gave a kidney to a second patient in the same situation. The second patient’s donor completed the chain by donating to a woman in the Canary Islands who had spent two years on the waiting list.

The operations and air transfers of the kidneys were completed within 24 hours, linking Tenerife with two hospitals on mainland Spain. Spain’s National Transplant Organisation coordinated the effort with hospital teams, following months of preparation and donor assessment.

A regular blood donor, Falcón began considering kidney donation after hearing another living donor describe their experience. He underwent physical, psychological and social assessments before proceeding. He said his recovery was very quick and that he was pleased his decision had helped three people rather than one. When he came out of surgery, his first question was how the person who received his kidney was doing.