Meet Lizl Pistorius, 48 from Randfontein, an altruistic kidney donor and passionate runner, making a difference one stride and one organ at a time.

1. Which organ did you donate, and in what year?
I donated a kidney in 2018.

2. How long was your recipient on the waiting list for an organ?
He was on dialysis since 2016 but only on the waiting list for a few months.

3. What made you decide to donate?
Naturally, I am a very caring and giving person and when I met the recipient, I just knew that I wanted to improve his circumstances and offered to him one of my kidneys.

4. Describe the emotions experienced when you were told that you are a suitable donor?
I felt overwhelmingly happy and over the moon at the news. I must confess that I also had a little bit of doubt and fear that I was doing the right thing.

5. What is life like now, after donating an organ?
My life is normal with day to day activities at work and weekends I enjoy spending time with friends doing all sort of charity work with under privileged people and I have a special affinity for animals in distress. I am also an avid Parkrun participant and place a premium on fitness and healthy living.

6. What advice would you give people considering being a living donor?
My experience during the full pre-year transplant confirmed to me that the transplant team would not consider the approval if there is any doubt regarding your safety or health in the process. This include physical and mental evaluation.

7. Why do you think there is a shortage of donors in South Africa?
Well obviously people would be scared and consider their own health.

8. Has the idea of an altruistic donor become an outdated expectation in a modern society?
No, I think that there are wonderful selfless and humane people that needs to be cultivated to see the difference they can effect to give new life to patients that experience poor quality of life. 

9. What is the biggest stigma/myth you have heard about organ donation?
Some cultures have religious believes that it would be unacceptable to be buried incomplete.

10. If you could describe donation in one word, what would it be?
Awesome

11. Summarise the benefits of organ donation in one word.
Life