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Identical twins could hold the key to solving Britain’s kidney donor shortage after a ground-breaking transplant ‘deal’.In the first case of its kind, Roger and Andrew Corke both offered a kidney to a stranger – in the knowledge that should one of them need a replacement in the future, the other will be a compatible donor because they share the same genetic footprint.
‘I only volunteered to be a donor because I knew I had an identical twin and therefore had back-up,’ says Roger, 58. He was eventually chosen as the donor due to his proximity to the London teaching hospital where the operation took place ten days ago.
Double up: Identical twins Roger, left and Andrew Corke, 58, both offered a kidney to a stranger knowing that they had a genetic backup should one of them need a replacement in the future
‘Everyone kept asking me “What if you need your other kidney?” but Andrew has agreed to give me his if I do. And if one of his fails, he still has another. It seems to be the perfect solution.’
There are currently 7,180 patients waiting for an organ transplant in Britain, according to NHS Blood and Transplant. Of those, almost 6,000 need a new kidney.
While the majority of the 1,220 kidney transplants last year were from deceased donors, 387 came from those still living – and a growing number are so-called ‘altruistic’ donations – when the donor does not know the recipient. This first altruistic kidney donation took place in 2007 and there have been 73 so far this year.
Roger was moved to donate after discovering the plight of people needing dialysis, while Andrew, a vicar from Dorset, has a friend who needed two liver transplants.
Friends and family were initially horrified by the risks and Roger’s wife Lynn, a retired solicitor, was worried that he had opted for a serious operation he did not need. But Roger was unconcerned. ‘Now I know how safe kidney donation is, I’d give one even if I wasn’t a twin,’ says Roger, a documentary film-maker from North London.
Peas in a pod: Roger, right, and Andrew, left, pictured at the age of six
‘People can function well on one kidney and the chances of me needing Andrew’s are lower than average, as you’re only allowed to give a kidney if you’re very healthy.
‘There was a 3,000-to-one chance of me dying during the operation, but that is much better odds than the one-in-800 chance of me dying in the next 12 months from cancer or a heart attack.’
After ten hospital visits and a vast array of tests, including a psychological assessment, Roger was accepted as a donor in August. He is now recovering at home after the five-hour operation.
Andrew is equally unperturbed by the health risks. ‘I’m the insurance policy and I’m not worried about me. I’m a Christian and feel I’m looked after. You’re meant to put others before yourself. We hope it will encourage others.’
The success of transplants between twins is well documented – 28 UK operations have involved a twin donating an organ directly to a sibling. But this is the first known case where twins have offered a kidney without knowing the recipient.
Medical experts are watching with interest and are now keen to enlist other identical twins to help cut waiting lists. With 250,000 pairs of identical twins in Britain, the potential is dramatic.
‘Targeting twins could be a very useful way to boost organ donations,’ says Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology who heads the Twins Research Centre at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
‘There are plenty of twins in Britain and they each have a ready-made personal organ donor. We shall be informing those on our register and hopefully this will lead to more recruitment nationwide.’ At present, three people a day die while waiting for an organ transplant and it can take as long as four years to identify a suitable donor – or even longer for patients with a rare blood group.
Roger will be absent from work until the New Year, though the NHS will reimburse his loss of earnings.
The twins are not allowed to know the full outcome of the transplant or who received the kidney, but they have been told that the organ has started working.
However, Roger is keen to meet the patient in future. ‘We’d love to meet the person, but it’s very much their choice – that’s the rule. I told the hospital I want to know the outcome. I really hope it will be a success, but if it isn’t I can still say I took a chance and tried to help.
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