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5 Big Benefits of Living Donation for the Donor

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You probably have heard of the enormous benefits of a living vs. deceased-donor kidney for the recipient, but did you know that there are real benefits to the donor, too?

For family members or couples, they are nothing short of dramatic:
1. Helping a loved one is an amazing feeling: To see a loved one who’s been pale, weak, and often listless for many months or years gradually become their old self again is pretty powerful. Before I donated my kidney to my son in 2006, his 20 months on dialysis had left him lethargic and depressed; seeing his smile when he came into my hospital room the day after the transplant was unforgettable. Read the full story from National Kidney Foundation here.

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Mayo Clinic Minute: Why more liver donors are needed

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April is National Donate Life Month. It’s observed to help raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.

In the U.S., it’s estimated that 4.5 million adults are diagnosed with chronic liver disease. It develops over time and may be caused by a number of conditions including, hepatitis, genetics, alcohol overuse or cancer. Chronic liver disease is different than acute liver disease, which can come on quickly and may be the result of an injury or a virus. Read the full story from the Mayo Clinic here.

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She gave her kidney to a high school acquaintance — and it changed his life

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John “JT” Thomas was a healthy 20-year-old in 2011. But at that year’s family Thanksgiving gathering, he found that he couldn’t even finish his first plate of food. His appetite was gone — and he was increasingly lightheaded.

His physicians had a chilling response to his symptoms, one that he recalls even today: “You shouldn’t be able to walk right now.” Read the full story here.

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How Will My Life Change After Donating a Kidney?

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If you are considering becoming a living kidney donor, you may have questions such as:

Will I be able to live a normal life after donating a kidney?

Will donating a kidney affect my athletic performance?

Will I need to change my diet or lifestyle after donating a kidney?

Is there anything I won’t be able to do after donating a kidney?

Thousands of people donate a kidney to someone in need every year, and their experiences have given us valuable information about the kidney donation recovery process and what life is like after you donate a kidney. Read more.

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Act of kindness: Former college roommate to donate part of his liver to save his friend

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The college roommates had not seen each other in 21 years. But when Steven Robinson realized on a family trip to Detroit that he was within driving distance of Richard Koonce, he called his friend to ask if he could visit. 

Koonce had introduced Robinson to his wife, Natalie, when they all attended Norfolk State University, a historically Black college in Virginia. When his old friend reached out he welcomed the couple and their three children to his home in Sandusky, Ohio, last summer.
Read the full story.

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Doctor to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for living kidney donation

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As an emergency physician at FirstHealth of the Carolinas, endurance athlete and anonymous kidney donor, Matthew Harmody, M.D., has never been one to shy away from difficult, impactful work. His next challenge combines physical fortitude and living kidney donation advocacy as he joins 21 other kidney donors to climb the world’s largest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, Africa.

The One Kidney Climb is coordinated by the nonprofit organization Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) to bring attention to the need for living kidney donors and demonstrate that one can donate a kidney and still live a healthy and active lifestyle. The group is scheduled to reach Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit — 19,341 feet above sea level — on World Kidney Day, March 10, 2022. Read the full story here.

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National Campaign to Capture Stories of Hope and Transformation Through Living Donation

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“The Transplant Research and Education Center (TREC), in partnership with the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation and One Lambda, Inc. (onelambda.com), part of Thermo Fisher Scientific and leading producer of in vitro diagnostic products for the HLA transplant community, has launched a six-month mass media campaign for kidney and transplant patients, living donors, and medical providers to raise awareness about the innovative resources available through the Living Donation Storytelling Project.”

Read the full article, here.

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