When Lance Travinor's brother was diagnosed with kidney failure, his first response was feeling disappointment.
His second was to do what he could to help - and that meant looking into whether he could donate one of his kidneys.
After months of tests to look at issues ranging from general health to blood and tissue compatibility, the Rotorua man has one last test left next month to get the final approval for the donation.
And this weekend, with his brother Grant supporting from the sidelines, he'll take on the Gloworm 24 Hours of Nduro mountain bike event as "Team Kidney" to raise money for Kidney Health NZ. Through the event, and a few other fundraising events during the next couple of months, he hopes to raise $10,000.
His brother was diagnosed with kidney failure last year and is now on dialysis until he receives a transplant.
If Mr Travinor gets the approval for the transplant, it is likely to happen some time in the next three to four months.
He said offering to donate his kidney was almost an automatic reaction.
"There's not really an option not to - he's my brother and you do what you can. I know he would do the same for me."
Mr Travinor said he felt really disappointed when his fit, healthy brother - who is in his early 40s - was diagnosed with kidney failure.
"It was a bit frustrating really."
He said as much as it was about helping his brother, he also wanted to raise awareness about kidney disease and organ donation, something he had never really considered before. Mr Travinor said he was not down to donate organs on his driver's licence.
"It's something you don't really think about when you're 16 and go to get your licence."
Mr Travinor said the whole experience and all the tests had been quite surreal.
"It makes you more aware of your body functions. "It doesn't seem real yet."
If the final test gets the approval from surgeons, the operation will take place in Christchurch, where his brother lives. He will spend about a week in hospital all going well, and then will be off work for about six weeks.
Mr Travinor said his brother was grateful for the sacrifice.
"Obviously he's pretty damned stoked. It's effectively giving him life."
Dr Nick Cross, clinical director of the National Renal Transplantation Service, said between 60 and 70 people each year donated a kidney.
Dr Cross said the process to donate a kidney took several months, partly due to the complexity and partly to ensure donors had sufficient time to consider things properly.
Most who donated kidneys were either family members or close friends of the recipient, although Dr Cross said each year there were a few anonymous donors who gave a kidney to someone they didn't know. "Both living and deceased donor kidney transplantation are tremendously successful life-changing operations for people with complete irreversible kidney failure, who have good enough health otherwise to receive a kidney."
- To donate go to https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/lancekranksitforkidneys