Kidney donor James Muscat. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Twelve years since he donated one of his kidneys to a friend, James Muscat feels better than when he had two.

“Despite getting older, the remaining kidney is functioning better than when I had two, according to my creatinine blood tests. So when people ask me whether life is the same with one kidney, I say that, in my case, life is better,” James Muscat, the first living donor in Malta to give his kidney to someone who is not his relative, said.

The 56-year-old’s comments come as an IT infrastructure is being set up for the National Human Organ and Donation Register, which will be available to clinicians 24/7.

According to the Human Organs, Tissues and Cell Donation Act, enacted earlier this year following months of debate, those aged 16 and over who wish to donate their organs need to enrol. They can specify which organs they would like to donate and, if they change their mind, they can deregister.

In the absence of such a law, they would have had to apply for a donor card but this did not ensure their organs would be donated on their death because the next of kin still had to give permission for the transplant to proceed.

Mr Muscat noted that the Transplant Support Group Malta did not know of a single case where relatives went against the wish of the deceased donor.

The register will also include details of those who do not want to donate any of their organs.

But Mr Muscat, the support group’s vice-president, has made it his mission to appeal for more people to sign up.

In Malta, transplanted organs include kidneys, heart and corneas. According to figures provided by the Health Ministry, there were 11 heart transplants since 1999. Over a period of 10 years – between 2004 and 2014 – there were 98 cadaver kidney and 36 related living kidney transplants.

The support group has seen several people who were brought back to life after being on the brink of death

The turning point for Mr Muscat came in 2002 when he visited his friend, David Vella, at the Renal Unit in St Luke’s Hospital.

His friend, a father of three and two years his senior, was attached to a dialysis machine and Mr Muscat decided that the best way to help him was to give him a kidney.

His family, including his three teenage sons, gave him the go-ahead.

Asked whether he ever feared he or his relatives might need that same kidney in the future, Mr Muscat said there would not be any living donors if everyone thought that way.

Mr Muscat had initially wanted the donation to remain low profile and he only speaks about it on condition of raising awareness.

The process leading to the donation included several tests, not just to verify the match but also to ensure Mr Muscat could live healthily with one kidney.

The professionals also needed to ensure that the donation was altruistic and that there was no promised remuneration.

The transplant was carried out in February of 2004, a day etched in Mr Muscat’s memory. His recovery was quick and he soon returned to work.

Mr Vella sadly passed away last year but Mr Muscat had been told that, had he not undergone the transplant, his friend would not have had many years left.

Since Mr Muscat’s donation, there have been a handful of other unrelated donations and he hopes the number would rise because the change he saw in organ receivers was “a small miracle”. “Some might be sceptical but the support group has seen several people who were brought back to life after being on the brink of death.”

More information on www.transplantsupport.com.mt.