Jay Downing, 48, was born with a rare form of supernumeracy, that gave him one and a half extra kidney pairs.

The three extra kidneys were packed into his left and right abdominal cavities behind the two present in most people.

Mr. Downing wasn’t even aware he had the condition until he went in for an x-ray in September last year, following a small hip injury.

On discovering the long waiting list in his local area, Downing quickly decided to give three of his spare kidneys to donors.

Mr. Downing said he would miss the shorter hangovers he had enjoyed for most of life, but was happy that he could give back something significant to his community.

The operation took place in Denver, Colarado, and took less than four hours. The recipients included a mother of five, a 7 year old girl, and one pensioner.

Downing said he had considered giving away a fourth kidney, but doctors claimed the operation carried too many risks.

The hospital recently awarded Downing with a bronze kidney statue as a tribute to his heroism.

When receiving the award, Downing told the audience that he hoped his actions would inspire more to sign up for organ donation cards.

— NFN's Oliver Frost contributed to this report.