When Joshua Andrew, 23, received the call that his father David’s kidney function was deteriorating, he didn’t hesitate to step in. Traveling in Australia at the time, Joshua immediately returned to Southgate, north London, to prepare for a life-saving kidney donation.
David, 57, had been battling chronic kidney disease as a result of chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma a decade earlier. Remarkably, this wasn’t the first time Joshua had saved his father’s life—years earlier, he had donated bone marrow during David’s cancer treatment. With their matching immune systems, Joshua’s kidney was a perfect match, allowing the transplant to go ahead at the Royal Free Hospital last week.
Despite facing his own health challenges—including a serious bike accident at the start of 2024 that left him with a broken neck—David remained resilient. Now, both father and son are recovering at home.
Joshua, who hopes to return to Australia soon, says his only concern was helping his dad. His mother, Lois, expressed her immense pride, calling her husband and son “remarkable.”