A family's plea to help save a young fathers life

A family is urging a stranger to step forward and donate a kidney to save the life of a young father.

Sam Jackson, who lives in Malmesbury, has Alport Syndrome which causes his kidneys to fail.

A transplant is the 23-year-old's only chance of life and time is running out.

The family are hoping someone will come forward to give Sam the chance of a normal life.

Sam's partner said the situation was "heartbreaking" and pleaded for a donor to save his life.

They are urging anyone who wants to help to email get-sam-a-kidney@outlook.com

Last year more than 450 people died while waiting for an organ transplant.

There are currently around 6,500 people waiting for a transplant. Here's how you can donate:

Living Donation

People can choose to donate organs in the event of their death or - along with blood - people can donate their kidneys, liver, and tissue while they are alive.

Living donation requires major surgery, but potential donors are carefully assessed to determine their suitability and results have proved successful.

  • Kidneys - Around a third of all kidney transplants in the UK are donated by a living person as a healthy person can lead a normal life with one

  • Liver - Part of a liver from a living person can be donated because the liver can regenerate itself, although this is less common than living kidney donation

  • Tissue - those undergoing hip operations can donate part of their thigh bone, while amniotic membrane (part of the placenta) can be donated after caesarian section to be used in eye operations

To donate an organ email enquiries@nhsbt.nhs.uk or contact your local kidney or liver transplant centre

To donate tissue email tissue.donation@nhsbt.nhs.uk or contact the National Referral Centre on 0800 432 0559.