How two transplants gave Josh a second chance at life No one knows the importance of DonateLife Week more than Josh Reed, a two-time kidney transplant recipient. At just 19 years old in 1986, Josh was told his kidneys were failing.
The transplant took place at Royal North Shore Hospital. After a short period of mild rejection, his team brought it under control. “I had a period of low-level rejection about a month after the transplant that took a few months to get under control. But the team at RNSH were amazing, and I never doubted they would be able to help me,” he said. Since then, life has changed dramatically. Josh recently travelled to Dublin to see his daughter graduate from her Masters at Trinity College. “Travel was very difficult on dialysis, and most overseas travel was out of our reach, so that was huge,” he said. Josh now shares his story to encourage others to consider organ donation. “Organ donation has given me a deep appreciation for the generosity of people,” he said. “I understand the hesitation, but it is an extraordinarily generous gift to give, and in whatever circumstances it happens, you’ll be in the best of hands.” Josh thanked Royal North Shore Hospital for his care and Dr Shen for her dedication in treating him and helping access the drug. “I’ve never had anything but good experiences throughout all the stages of care,” he said. “Only two doses of Imlifidase were made available in Australia, and Dr Shen worked very hard to get me on that very short list. In the end I was the 43rd person in the world to have it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Two years later, they had completely failed, and his mother offered one of her kidneys with a transplant soon following. It was a resounding success. Josh lived 25 years with his mother’s kidney, raising his children, working in the film industry and enjoying everyday life. But in 2014, his transplanted kidney failed, and he returned to dialysis. Josh said it was initially manageable with the support of his children, but gradually took its toll. “I continued to work and raise my kids, and they were amazingly supportive and helpful,” he said. “But after a while my stamina began to fade, and I knew I’d need to slow down.” After several rounds of plasma exchange to reduce antibodies from his first transplant, Josh was told in 2020 that a second transplant might not be possible. “We had to accept it wasn’t going to be possible to receive another transplant. I’d be on dialysis for the rest of my life. That news was devastating, and out of everything, that was the hardest thing to process,” he said. His fortunes changed thanks to Royal North Shore Hospital nephrologist Dr Yvonne Shen, his partner Carmen and a new drug called Imlifidase. Imlifidase suppresses antibodies long enough to allow a transplant. Josh became only the second person in Australia to receive it. With Carmen donating a kidney as part of the Australian and New Zealand Paired Kidney Exchange Program, a match was found in 2024. “Carmen and I were given a date for the operations to happen, and that, as you can imagine, was exhilarating news for both of us,” he said.
Josh and partner Carmen post their transplant surgeries
Josh was able to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony in Dublin thanks to his transplant
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