Paul Bannan started a chain of events that led to seven lives being saved in one day. But he's not after accolades.
"I know heroes - I've served with heroes in the CFA, doing some rather bad rescue jobs," he said.
"I know heroes and I'm not one of them."
The 54-year-old from regional Victoria was in the process of donating a kidney to a friend. But his friend received a kidney from a deceased donor, so Paul decided to continue the process and give his to a stranger.
"If I had given it to my mate, I just would've been a good mate and a beaut bloke," he said.
Kidney donor Paul Bannan. Source: SBS News
"The fact I've given it to someone else I don't know, I don't see.... There's a difference."
The major difference is Mr Bannan put his kidney into a paired kidney exchange program.
It matches patients with willing but incompatible donors, with others in the same situation.
Mr Bannan's gift was so important because the chain of donors and recipients included a person without a matched donor.
He completed the chain because he needed nothing in return.
The seven-way exchange is Australia's largest, involving six hospitals in Victoria and New South Wales.
Veronica Reid was one of the seven patients who received a kidney.
"Without him starting this, who knows how that chain of seven would have gone," she told SBS News.
"I don't think there's words to describe how it has changed my life and the other recipients. It has already given me a new lease on life or a second chance at life."
Renal Transplant Physician at Austin Health, Associate Professor Frank Ierino, said the paired exchange program ensured willing donors were not turned away.
"We would've had to say 'Look thank you, it's a generous offer but we can't use you for the following reason,'" he said.
"Now we've had many patients who otherwise would not have been transplanted who have got willing donors."
Last year there were about 380 organ donors, the second highest figure since national records began. But with around 1600 people on Australian organ transplant waiting lists, it is still not enough.
Head of the Transplantation Unit at Monash Health, Associate Professor John Kanellis said it was a hard life of continual medical treatments and dialysis for those on the waiting list.
"We're continually trying to help those people," he said.
"It's hard - some of them might not get a chance easily and acts of kindness like Paul's can make things happen."
Mr Bannan said he had one word of advice for the recipient of his kidney: "Enjoy".
