Peach Pit Lead Singer Donates Kidney to His Cousin

• Neil Smith donated a kidney to his cousin and went on tour weeks later
• SJ, who spent years on dialysis, was able to live freely again
• Most kidney donors recover quickly and live healthy lives with one kidney

SJ suddenly got sick in 2020.  

“Out of nowhere, her health went downhill. She was exhausted all the time,” Neil said. “It took a while, but doctors discovered her kidneys had failed.”

To this day, SJ and her family don’t know the exact cause of her sudden kidney failure.

“It was a big shock for our family and difficult to watch,” Neil said. “It’s hard enough managing work, family, and life. She had to add dialysis on top of that, multiple times a week, for hours at a time.”

But SJ’s family stepped up right away to begin the living donor evaluation. 

Learn more about kidney disease treatment options from real-world patients. 

Unfortunately, despite how many people were willing to donate, all were ruled out as potential donors. 

“Multiple people got close to the end only to learn they weren’t eligible,” Neil said. “It’s good that the workup is so thorough, but even the smallest thing can rule you out.” 

Around three and a half years went by as more family and friends tried to donate. 

“At that point, a different cousin and I decided it was our turn to try,” said Neil. “The evaluation process was long, but at the end of it, I was deemed a good donor candidate and SJ’s match.”

Learn more about making the decision to donate a kidney. 

There was just one small problem. Peach Pit had just released their fourth studio album, Magpie, and was starting a major tour in January 2025. 

“I was really worried about recovering from the transplant surgery,” Neil said. “Not just for the band but for the entire crew who were depending on that tour to take care of their families.”

But doctors reassured Neil he should recover in time if they did that with surgery in early December.

“Most living donors recover fairly quickly,” said Neil. “My team laid it all out and said I should be good to go by mid-January.”

Learn more about recovery after kidney donation. 

With reassurance from his doctors, bandmates, and crew, Neil decided to go through with it.

“I was afraid. I’d never had a major surgery before this. What helped was reading other living donors’ stories,” he said. “The day of the surgery was the hardest, but the team was great and made me feel at ease.”

Once in the operating room, everything moved quickly, and then it was over. 

“The procedure was done laparoscopically, using small incisions. I had some pain but was back to normal in about three weeks,” Neil said, “It felt like a minor inconvenience compared to what SJ went through.”

Considering living donation? Get your questions answered by a living donor NKF Peer mentor.

Just as the doctors predicted, Neil recovered in time for the tour.

“A few months into the tour, we played in Toronto, where SJ lives,” Neil said. “She was there at the concert. It was so incredible to see her off dialysis, living her life.”

And that’s why Neil continues to share his story. 

“I’ve seen the power of living donation. It doesn’t just change the recipient's life, it changes the lives of their whole family and friends,” he said. “If you’re healthy enough to donate, you only need one kidney. More people need to know that this is a safe option.”

Before this experience, Neil believed he would step up for his family if needed. Now, he knows for sure.

“Donating a kidney gave me a huge sense of joy and peace. I’m proud of myself,” he said. “Being proud of yourself is rare, but doing something like this—it stays with you.”

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