The effective altruist who gave up his kidney and 10 per cent of his income for life
An Australian man shares his experience as an 'effective altruist,' having donated a kidney to a stranger and pledging 10 percent of his income to charity. The article explores the philosophy behind the movement and its critics.
Why it matters
Explores the growing influence of the effective altruism movement and the personal sacrifices individuals make to address global inequality.
Hu Pennington decided to give his kidney to a stranger. ( triple j hack: Jason Katsaras )
Link copied Share Share article Early on a Tuesday morning, Hu Pennington found himself being prepped for surgery that he had hesitated to tell his family about.
As his stomach was painted with an orange antiseptic, the thought crossed his mind: "It'd be really embarrassing if I died."
Hu is one of the few Australians who volunteered to donate a kidney to a stranger.
"As they were preparing me for surgery … I saw the cooler bag that the kidney was going into," Hu told triple j hack.
"[It] was inside someone … by the end of the day."
Hu says he was released from hospital three days after donating his kidney to a stranger. ( Supplied )
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