Leicester man whose wife donated kidney backs art exhibition

Bharat Patel paid tribute to his wife Avril for her bravery and generosity in donating her kidney to him

A man whose wife donated him a kidney is appealing for more people to sign up to help others.

Bharat Patel, from Leicester, said his life "was not worth living" when he suffered from chronic kidney disease.

The 65-year-old's wife Avril made the sacrifice to help him, giving him "a new lease of life".

He is also backing a virtual art exhibition encouraging more people in ethnic minority groups to join the organ donor register.

The online display - organised by the Centre of Ethnic Health Research and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands - features personal stories and experiences of people living after kidney donations.

It is focusing on African, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities, which have higher rates of kidney disease and longer waits for kidney transplants.

Mr Patel said: "Since having the transplant I have been given a new lease of life, and I am now encouraging families to consider joining the organ donor register, especially ethnic minority communities who have a lack of knowledge and understanding around living organ donations."