An 84-year-old man has become the oldest person in Britain to donate a kidney to a loved one.

Pensioner Graham Sisson decided to give up his organ to help his critically ill son-in-law Ian Tonks “get his life back”. Ian, 49, had kidney failure and was given just months to live when his father-in-law came to the rescue.

Graham, now 86, said: "I'm thrilled to bits to see Ian's life change, but others seem to think it is a bigger thing than I do. I could see how incredibly ill he was and I wanted to help him get his life back. His whole life revolved around dialysis. Many family members put themselves forward but couldn't donate for various reasons, so I put myself forward and the tests showed I was compatible.”

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Ian added: "Without Graham, I would have died within a matter of months - without his unbelievable selflessness, I'd be gone. To be that age and do what he has done is incredible." Ian, from Buxton, Derbys, had been suffering with kidney problems since 2006 and was on dialysis - a procedure to remove waste products from the blood when the kidneys don’t work.

Describing life before Graham stepped in, he said: “ I could no longer work and my hobbies stopped. I have a classic car I like to work on and go for weekend drives with my partner. I'm a big Birmingham City fan and I enjoyed my work – but all of that ended because of my condition."

The ex-materials controller was placed on the transplant list in 2019, but after several failed attempts to find a donor he began to give up hope. He said Graham's offer left him “shell shocked,” adding: "Total disbelief - he [Graham] was so confident about wanting to do it. There is truly no gift in the world that matches what he did.

"To this day, my voice cracks whenever I talk about it, knowing how brave he has been for no other reason than to help me. It's unbelievable - the kindest thing a person has ever done for me."

The pair underwent the successful transplant surgery at the Manchester Royal Infirmary in October 2024. Ian's life has since completely transformed. "It's been unbelievable – Not being able to simply pass water because of dialysis, and having a fluid restriction of 500 - 750ml for several years, to all of a sudden drinking three litres a day was a massive shock.

“It still feels incredible just to go to the toilet normally and not be tied to a machine. I watched Oasis at Heaton Park and have been to the football again. Even the little things in life are massive now - like my bedroom being a bedroom and not having a dialysis machine dominating it. I can eat whatever I want and live a normal life.

"I said at my wedding speech before the transplant that Graham is an unsung hero. He always helps, whether it's a lift or financial support. He never asks for anything but gives everything. It's a surprise he did this, but also not at all, because that's just who he is."