Living Donation
Living Donors Are Lifelines.
More than 100,000 people are in need of kidney and liver transplants.
While thousands are successfully transplanted each year, the growing need exceeds the number of kidneys and livers available from deceased organ donors.
What Is Living Donation?
Living donation is when a donor gives a kidney, a portion of the liver, a lobe of the lung and part of the pancreas or intestine to a family member, friend, colleague or stranger as an alternative to waiting on the national transplant waiting list. Living donations allow more patients to come off of the national transplant waiting list, thus increasing the existing organ supply.
- More than 6,500 living donations take place each year.
- Many living donors donate to family or friends, and some people choose to donate to someone they don’t even know.
- Living donors can provide a valuable lifeline for those waiting for a transplant.
Pictured: FBI Agent Bridgette Trela donated a kidney to her longtime co-worker’s wife Rita Frazier
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who can be a living donor?
- Living donors should be in good overall physical and mental health and free from uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, hepatitis and organ diseases.
- For the benefit of both the donor and the recipient, potential living donors undergo very thorough psychological, psychosocial and medical screenings and evaluations to ensure they are healthy and suitable to undergo the procedure.
- Your decision to serve as a donor should be completely voluntary and free of pressure or guilt. A living donor cannot be paid for the donated organ because it is illegal under the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984. However, living donors may receive reimbursement for certain expenses related to the donation process. Talk to a social worker or financial coordinator at the transplant center for more information.
Who and how can you help?
Directed Donation
Directed Donation is the donation of a kidney or the lobe of a liver to a specific transplant candidate who may or may not have a biological connection to the donor. Biologically-related donors are blood relatives, such as parents, brothers/sisters and adult children. Unrelated donors can include people who have some type of social connection with a transplant candidate, such as a spouse or significant other, friend or coworker. Other unrelated donors may be acquaintances or even strangers who have learned about a transplant candidate.
Non-Directed Donation
These individuals donate to an anonymous candidate on the national transplant waiting list. Some of these donors may eventually meet the transplant recipients, but only if both parties agree.
Who pays for living donation and transplants?
The transplant recipient’s insurance will cover your general expenses as a donor, such as the evaluation, surgery and limited follow-up tests and medical appointments.
However, the recipient’s insurance may not cover follow-up services for you if medical problems occur from the donation. Your own insurance may not cover these expenses either. The recipient’s insurance coverage usually does not include transportation, lodging, long-distance phone calls, childcare or lost wages.
You should talk about any financial concerns with the transplant center staff. They may have resources available for you. Also, consider contacting the National Living Donor Assistance Center at 703.414.1600 or LivingDonorAssistance.org. This service may be able to provide financial help for travel, lodging, meals and other non-medical expenses connected with your evaluation, surgery and follow-up services (within 90 days after the donation).
Transplant centers must turn in follow-up forms on living donors for two years after the donation surgery. It is important to ask your transplant team about payment for follow-up care. The center and the recipient’s insurance may not cover these costs.
Some transplant candidates have Medicare, which may provide coverage for donors who have donation-related complications. For more information, contact Medicare by phone at 1.800.633.4227 or at www.medicare.gov (TTY users can call 1.877.486.2048). Talk with your transplant center about medical and disability insurance that provides coverage for problems that may occur from the donation. Some centers may provide these services free of charge, while others may offer them for purchase.
What is Living Donation?
Living donation is when a donor gives a kidney, a portion of the liver, a lobe of the lung and part of the pancreas or intestine to a family member, friend, colleague or stranger as an alternative to waiting on the national transplant waiting list. Living donations allow more patients to come off of the national transplant waiting list, thus increasing the existing organ supply.
- More than 6,500 living donations take place each year.
- Many living donors donate to family or friends, and some people choose to donate to someone they don’t even know.
- Living donors can provide a valuable lifeline for those waiting for a transplant.
Pictured: FBI Agent Bridgette Trela donated a kidney to her longtime co-worker’s wife Rita Frazier
What Can Be Donated?
Kidney
This is the most common type of living donation. Living donors can live a normal life with only one kidney.
Lobe of The Liver
Cells in the remaining lobe of the liver grow or regenerate until the liver is almost its original size. The re-growth of the liver occurs in a short period of time in both the donor and recipient.
Part of a lung, pancreas or intestine
Although these organs do not regenerate, both the donated portion of the organ and the portion remaining with the donor are fully functioning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Living Donation
Who can be a living donor?
- Living donors should be in good overall physical and mental health and free from uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, hepatitis and organ diseases.
- For the benefit of both the donor and the recipient, potential living donors undergo very thorough psychological, psychosocial and medical screenings and evaluations to ensure they are healthy and suitable to undergo the procedure.
- Your decision to serve as a donor should be completely voluntary and free of pressure or guilt. A living donor cannot be paid for the donated organ because it is illegal under the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984. However, living donors may receive reimbursement for certain expenses related to the donation process. Talk to a social worker or financial coordinator at the transplant center for more information.
Who and how can you help?
Directed Donation
Directed Donation is the donation of a kidney or the lobe of a liver to a specific transplant candidate who may or may not have a biological connection to the donor. Biologically-related donors are blood relatives, such as parents, brothers/sisters and adult children. Unrelated donors can include people who have some type of social connection with a transplant candidate, such as a spouse or significant other, friend or coworker. Other unrelated donors may be acquaintances or even strangers who have learned about a transplant candidate.
Non-Directed Donation
These individuals donate to an anonymous candidate on the national transplant waiting list. Some of these donors may eventually meet the transplant recipients, but only if both parties agree.
Who pays for living donation and transplants?
The transplant recipient’s insurance will cover your general expenses as a donor, such as the evaluation, surgery and limited follow-up tests and medical appointments.
However, the recipient’s insurance may not cover follow-up services for you if medical problems occur from the donation. Your own insurance may not cover these expenses either. The recipient’s insurance coverage usually does not include transportation, lodging, long-distance phone calls, childcare or lost wages.
You should talk about any financial concerns with the transplant center staff. They may have resources available for you. Also, consider contacting the National Living Donor Assistance Center at 703.414.1600 or LivingDonorAssistance.org. This service may be able to provide financial help for travel, lodging, meals and other non-medical expenses connected with your evaluation, surgery and follow-up services (within 90 days after the donation).
Transplant centers must turn in follow-up forms on living donors for two years after the donation surgery. It is important to ask your transplant team about payment for follow-up care. The center and the recipient’s insurance may not cover these costs.
Some transplant candidates have Medicare, which may provide coverage for donors who have donation-related complications. For more information, contact Medicare by phone at 1.800.633.4227 or at www.medicare.gov (TTY users can call 1.877.486.2048). Talk with your transplant center about medical and disability insurance that provides coverage for problems that may occur from the donation. Some centers may provide these services free of charge, while others may offer them for purchase.
How Do I Become a Living Donor?
Contact a regional transplant center for more information about how you can sign up to be a living donor.
The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center
University of Maryland Medical Center
Medstar Health Transplant Institute
George Washington University Hospital Transplant Institute
You can save lives by registering to be an organ donor today.