Walter Tauro says he didn鈥檛 even know what Guinness World Records were before he was recognized by the popular British corporation as the world鈥檚 oldest kidney transplant recipient earlier this month.

鈥淚 never heard of it,鈥� the 88-year-old said with a laugh during a Sunday phone interview from his home in Markham, Ont.

But once he learned more about the organization that tracks human achievements and the extremes of the natural world, the retired realtor said he feels happy he was recognized.

鈥淚 am feeling good and I鈥檓 back to normal,鈥� he said.

Tauro said he moved to Ontario from India in 1965 and ran a successful real estate company for many years with his wife and two kids before his retirement.

In 2020, he said doctors discovered he had kidney disease.

His treatment involved mandatory trips to the hospital three times a week, for four hours at a time, to receive dialysis, a process in which doctors try to replicate the kidney鈥檚 function by removing excess water and toxins from the blood stream.

鈥淚 got tired of going to the dialysis,鈥� he said.

The onerous treatments eventually prompted him to request placement on a list for a kidney transplant.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 hear (about it) for three years after that,鈥� he said.

Then one day, in June 2023, a doctor at Toronto鈥檚 St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital notified Tauro a new kidney was available for transplant but warned he might not survive the procedure due to his age.

After multiple tests, however, a surgeon cleared him to receive a kidney from an anonymous donor.

鈥淚t is not the age of the patient that matters, it is their overall health,鈥� Meriam Jayoma-Austria, a registered nurse with St. Michael鈥檚 Kidney Transplant program, said in a statement.

鈥淲alter went through the program seamlessly, from his heart assessments to a bone marrow analysis.鈥�

Moments before his surgery, Tauro said his family still worried for him and said their final goodbyes.

He said he reassured them he would be fine.

鈥淚 said, 鈥楧on鈥檛 worry. I鈥檒l be back tomorrow morning.鈥� I had confidence,鈥� he said, adding he was a little scared but trusted his doctors.

Guinness World Records said on its website that 鈥淲alter was resolute in his decision to have the transplant as he no longer wanted to do dialysis every day.鈥�

Six hours after his surgery, Tauro said he remembers waking up.

As he recovered at the hospital for a month, overcoming some minor infections, Tauro said a nurse suggested he reach out to Guinness because she suspected he might be the world鈥檚 oldest kidney transplant recipient.

Tauro said the nurse鈥檚 intuition was correct and Guinness verified his record earlier this month.

Now Tauro said he is feeling healthy and enjoying his life with his family and two grandkids.

He said the experience has taught him that everyone needs to take a chance once in a while.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 take a chance, nothing ever happens.鈥�

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