What is living donation?

Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ (or part of an organ) for transplantation to another person. The living donor can be a family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister (living related donation).

Living donation can also come from someone who doesn’t have an emotional relationship with the recipient, such as a friend of a friend, coworker, fellow member at their place of worship, neighbor or someone that hears through social media. Thanks to improved medications, a genetic link between the donor and recipient is no longer required to ensure a successful transplant. You don’t even need to have the same blood type as your potential donor to get a kidney because there are internal paired exchange programs within transplant centers and national paired exchange programs that allow an incompatible pair to match up with another incompatible pair; allowing the two donors to switch recipients.

Compatability Programs Info

Living Donation Facts

Who can be a living kidney donor?

You must be at least 18 years old at all transplant centers. Some centers require a donor to be 21 or a little older. There are some medical conditions that could prevent you from being a living donor. These include having uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, or acute infections. You should always let the transplant center decide if you can be a living donor.

Advantages of living donation

A kidney from a living donor usually functions immediately, because the kidney is out of the body for a very short time. Some deceased donor kidneys do not function immediately, and as a result, the patient may require dialysis until the kidney starts to function. A kidney from a living donor often lasts longer as well.

How long does a transplanted kidney last?

On average, a kidney from a living donor lasts about 15 to 20 years. Some will last longer; others might last less, it just depends on numerous factors all of which are considered by the transplant facility.

Are transplants always successful?

Although transplantation is highly successful, and success rates continue to improve, there is still a small chance that problems may occur. Sometimes, the kidney is lost to rejection, surgical complications or the original disease that caused the recipient's kidney to fail.

How do I donate a kidney?

If you have two healthy kidneys, you may be able to donate one to improve or even save someone else’s life. There are two main types of living donation:

Directed donation

This is when the donor names a specific person who will receive the kidney. It is the most common type of living donation. Directed donations are often between blood relatives, like parents, siblings, or children. They can also occur between people with close personal relationships, such as a spouse, friend, or coworker.

Nondirected donation

This is when a person does not name a specific person who will get the kidney. In this case, the donor is paired with someone in need.

We are asking for a directed donation for Makela, or a nondirected to help another person in need.

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