By Sometimes all you can do is pay it forward. That’s what Arfron Jones did. Last year, his 19-year-old daughter, Seren, became ill, and the family was hit with bad news: she needed to have both kidneys removed. To survive while they waited for a potential donor, the teenager had to spend ten hours a night on dialysis.Â
Then one day, the phone rang last April, and in an “amazing” moment, the whole family learned that Seren would be getting a kidney. A generous donor had matched with the teen. The Daily Mail said  the girl “‘wouldn’t be alive’ without the donation today.
“A grateful Arfon explained that the family’s lives were completely transformed ‘overnight’ when his daughter was able to undergo the procedure.
That’s when he decided to go on the living donor list.Â
NDTVÂ writes, “After his own daughter received a life-changing kidney from a donor, a father from Cardiff, UK, donated a kidney to a stranger. Arfon Jones joined a living donor programme despite the fact that he was not a match for Seren who became seriously ill and had both kidneys removed, BBC reported.
She eventually received a transplant and her recovery inspired the 69-year-old father. After Seren finally received the kidney donation in April, he joined a living donor programme. Seren was on dialysis for ten hours every night. In April 2022, Mr Jones received a phone call informing him that a suitable kidney had become available.
The BBC report mentioned that while Seren was waiting for a kidney, the family learned about the National Health Service’s living donor programme. Despite the fact that Mr Jones was not a match, he felt compelled to help others. He stated that he had no idea who had received his kidney but that their health was improving.
Talking to the outlet, the father said, “After Seren got her new kidney, she was told that I could get off the living donor list and that’s when I had a very strange experience. It was as if I heard a voice telling me ‘there is someone else who needs your kidney’ and I just felt that I had to stay on the list.”
“‘I felt that I had given someone a nice Christmas present,’ he told the BBC.
He noted that he had no idea who received his kidney he did not know who had received his kidney but he understood that their health was improving.
“After Seren got her new kidney, she was told that I could get off the living donor list and that’s when I had a very strange experience,” said Arfon.
He had the procedure in December and said: ‘It felt like I’d given someone quite a nice Christmas present and it was nice to know that I’m healthy enough to donate a kidney given that I’m almost 70.'”
Hopefully, the loved ones who received his kidney will get a chance to pay it forward soon too. Either way, Arfon is a hero in our book.
