Olentangy coach, secretary connected for life through kidney donation
What is Living Kidney Donation?
Most people are born with two healthy kidneys and can safely donate one while continuing to live a healthy life. Donating a kidney – becoming a living donor – is a selfless act that can improve or save the life of a person with advanced or end-stage kidney disease.
For these sick individuals, there are only three treatment options:
- Dialysis,
- Kidney transplant from a deceased donor, or
- Kidney transplant from a living donor.
With dialysis, a machine is used to artificially clean the blood, doing the work of a healthy kidney. It’s time-consuming and exhausting, as frequent as three times a week for up to four hours each session. While a patient can remain on dialysis for many years, it’s not a cure for kidney disease. In fact, ten percent of patients on dialysis die each year while waiting for a kidney transplant. For some groups, such as elderly patients and patients with diabetes, there is an even greater risk of dying.
A kidney transplant is the preferred treatment option for patients with end-stage kidney disease. But the demand for kidneys from deceased donors is greater than the number available – which means patients can wait years for a kidney transplant, often growing weaker while waiting.
The best and fastest option for a patient in need of a kidney transplant is to receive a kidney from a living donor.
Help your loved one find a living kidney donor. Be a Donor Champion and be their voice!
There is an enormous physical and emotional toll of living with end-stage kidney disease, not to mention the exhaustion of dialysis treatment.
So it is not a surprise that finding a living donor can be overwhelming. In fact, the conversation is so difficult more than half of all people in need of a kidney transplant do not even ask one person to donate!
Take this burden off your loved one and spread the word for them to help identify potential living donors.
- Wait times for recipients are reduced from years to months, potentially avoiding dialysis.
- Recipients have better outcomes with kidneys from living donors.
- Kidneys from living donors may last nearly twice as long as kidneys from deceased donors.
- Risk of rejection is low.
About a third of the transplants performed at Ohio State are performed with kidneys from living donors. Often living donors are family members, but a growing number are friends or co-workers. There are also people who choose to donate a kidney without having a specific recipient in mind. These extraordinary people are called non-directed or altruistic donors.
The decision to become a living donor is a voluntary one, and the donor may change his or her mind at any time during the process. The donor’s decision and reasons are kept confidential.
Living kidney donor qualifications:
- Between the ages of 18 and 70.
- In good overall physical and mental health free from uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and organ disease.
- Gender and race are not factors.
- A matching blood type is not a requirement, as it is possible to donate with mismatched blood/tissue through Kidney Paired Donation (KPD).
- Life expectancy after donation is the same as that of people with two kidneys. A single kidney is able to meet the body's needs very well as it enlarges to do the work formerly shared by both kidneys.
- Donors are tested and re-tested prior to surgery to ensure overall good health for the best possible outcomes. Only healthy people are accepted as donors. The safety of the donor is of the utmost importance.
- Living kidney donation surgery is considered a relatively safe procedure, but with any surgery there is the potential for complications.
- It is recommended that female donors wait at least six months after donation surgery before becoming pregnant.
- Surgery is usually performed laparoscopicly, meaning smaller incisions requiring a shorter hospital stay for faster recovery.
- Most donors are able to go home the day after surgery.
- About a week after surgery, donors generally report feeling tired but ready to go about normal activities.
- Driving may resume one to two weeks after surgery, and depending on the occupation, can usually return to work in two to four weeks.
- For the first six weeks, donors are restricted from lifting anything over five to ten pounds.
- After that six-week period, all normal life activities can be resumed.
Start the assessment process to be a living kidney donor by completing the online health history questionnaire.
Once completed, your information will be reviewed by our team. If you're a potential candidate, one of our living donor team members will contact you directly.
If you have questions at any time, please email an Ohio State living donor team member at: livingdonor@osumc.edu or call 614-293-6724, option 3.
Identify a Living Donor Champion
To be a Donor Champion, you will first need the approval of your loved to publicly share their need for a kidney transplant with others. You will also need to be willing to:
- Learn about the kidney donation process
- Spread the word on social media, in social groups and in everyday conversations
- Serve as the point of contact for anyone requesting more information about donating to your loved one and direct them to Ohio State's living donor questionnaire
As a Donor Champion, it's important to become educated about the living donation process before reaching out to others. Some resources available are:
- Ohio State’s Living Donor Program provides information about donor criteria, evaluation and surgery process, risks and frequently asked questions.
- Speak to an Ohio State transplant team member about living kidney donation by calling 614-293-6724 option 3 or emailing livingdonor@osumc.edu with any questions.
- Access the National Kidney Foundation's online tool guide called, The Big Ask, Big Give that includes valuable information on starting the donation conversation and spreading the word.
- Start recruiting potential donors immediately.
- Make a list of all family, co-workers and additional groups to contact (include email addresses). Also consider reaching out to local places of worship.
- Start recruiting from friends and family first (siblings have the best chance of being great matches).
- Ask willing donors to complete the online health history questionnaire to start the process.
- Ask possible donors if they will consider taking a blood test to determine if they can donate. Explain that if they are not a match, the Paired Kidney Donation program is another option. Additional information on paired kidney donation can be found on the living donor webpage.
- Get creative! Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) are great platforms to spread the word, but some Donor Champions have had great success by creating a webpage, print ads, t-shirts, yard signs, buttons, car window stickers, flyers, church bulletins and even billboards. Download our toolkit or access additional resources here to start the conversation.
- Don't stop recruiting until a week before surgery. Have as many potential donors as possible willing to be tested in case of a last minute change.
