General Information on Living Donation
Living organ donation has become a common source of organs
for those in need of organ transplantation, usually a kidney, bone
marrow, and sometimes the portion of a liver. Less common is donation
of a portion of a lung or small intestine. There are thousands of living donors in the US and around the world every year.
The most common question we get on this site is "How do I
become a living donor?" In general, the answer is as follows:
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First check with family and friends to see if there is
anyone who needs an organ transplant. Donations most frequently are
between people who know each other because they are relatives, friends,
or affiliated through religious or social groups.
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If you don't find someone that way, contact the nearest
transplant center, usually the closest teaching hospital. You can find
transplant centers by visiting this web site: ustransplant.org.
Ask if the transplant center has an anonymous or "nondirected" donor
program. Some transplant centers have formal programs, some don't. If
they do, ask how you can participate. If they don't, ask for
suggestions on how you can become an anonymous donor elsewhere.
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If you would like to donate a kidney, an option similar to
the second item above is to sign up for one of the living donor
registries in the US. You can find the registries on this web page: Living Donors Online Kidney Links. Look in the
"Living Donor Registries" section for information and links to web
sites with more information.
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A final possibility is to post a message in the "Looking
For..." section of the Living Donors Online message board. Please make
sure you read the first three messages in that section of the message
board before posting a message of your own. You should also be
aware that many transplant centers in the US have a policy of not
accepting donors who met potential recipients via the Internet.
To find details on specific forms of living donation, go to
these pages of Living Donors Online:
Living donation involves significant invasive medical
procedures. Please make sure you are ready to donate. Being ready means:
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I am intellectually ready: I have studied living
organ donation, and I understand the process including the risks
involved.
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I am emotionally ready: I have prepared myself
emotionally for living donation, including the possibility that the
donation may not be successful and that I may be harmed in the process.
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I am physically ready: I am in great physical shape
because I need to withstand major surgery, I need to have a healthy
organ or marrow to donate, and I need to live with less than my full
complement of organs.
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I am financially ready: I have the financial
resources such as savings and paid time-off (vacation, sick days,
short-term disability, etc.) to tide me over (and my family, if I have
one) while I am being tested, in the hospital for surgery, and away
from work while I recover. I also have insurance protection in the
event I die or am permanently disabled by the donation.
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I am spiritually ready: I am driven to donate by
the right motives.
You will also need to make sure you have a support system of
friends, family, or other people who can help you through this process.
You cannot do it alone! You must have other people available to help
you as you go through testing, surgery, and recovery. Here are some
tips for preparing for and recovering from surgery in the hospital: Surgery Tips. And here are suggested
questions a prospective living organ donor might ask of medical
professionals: Questions
A federally funded financial assistance program, the National
Living Donor Assistance Center, is available to US citizens. The
program covers qualifying travel and subsistence expenses for
certain living donors. Ask your transplant coordinator to apply for
you. More on the program can be found here.
If you have a problem with a transplant program, you can call
the UNOS
patient service line at 888-894-6361. Patient services staff can be
reached by phone from 8:30am to 5:00pm Eastern, Monday through Friday.
Voice mail is available outside of these hours.
If you have questions of your own, please post them on the LDO
message board. Thank you for your interest in living organ donation!
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