Live donor kidney and liver transplants increase the number of people who receive a life-saving transplant. Though some living donors are blood relatives of the recipient, they don’t have to be.
At Penn Transplant Institute, we’ve seen in-laws, friends and co-workers step up and become a living donor for someone in need. Living donors can also participate in a donation “chain,” a method of donation in which more than one person receives the gift of life.
If you need a kidney or liver transplant, reaching out to potential living donors can help you find a match. Sometimes family members or close friends who are familiar with your situation will offer to donate. In other cases, you and your team may need to help educate others around you and ask them to consider being tested for compatibility.
Talking to someone about becoming a living donor requires careful considerations and can stir up a variety of emotions. These suggestions may make it easier to talk with others about your need.
Shift Your Perspective
For some, talking about something as personal and serious as organ donation can feel daunting. It may help to think about the process as educational rather than a request. I’m informing people about my situation and educating them about living organ donation is more accurate and less intimidating than I need to find someone who will donate an organ.
Do Your Homework
Once you’ve decided to start educating the people around you, it’s time to brush up on your knowledge. Talk to your Penn transplant team to be sure you have a complete and correct understanding of the process – from evaluation to recovery after surgery.
Make sure you know or can easily access information about:
- How potential living donors are evaluated: What medical tests will be run? How are donors evaluated psychologically? What conditions rule out living donation?
- How surgery works: How long are both people in the hospital? What happens during surgery? What is recovery like?
- Other considerations: What expenses are typically covered by insurance? What expenses can a living donor find help for, including travel and lodging?
For a detailed list of frequently asked questions about insurance coverage, lost wage reimbursement and more, visit our living donor kidney transplant FAQ.
Choose People to Ask
Donor safety is paramount. In fact, living donors are some of the healthiest people to enter an operating room because they’re extensively evaluated before surgery. Your Penn Transplant Institute team will be the ones to evaluate potential donors for their physical and psychological fitness.
That being said, some people may be a better match than others.
Consider talking to people who:
- Are in the general age range of 21-70
- Do not have serious medical problems
- Have flexibility at work and home to take time off
The people you choose to talk to don’t have to be close friends or family members. You may want to widen your search to include people from:
- Your neighborhood
- Your place of worship
- Your community center or local clubs in which you’re active
Have an Open Conversation
Once you’ve decided who to talk to and you have the facts, consider what to say and how to say it. If you decide to talk to others directly over the phone or in person, keep these tips in mind:
- Arrange a time to talk if possible.
- Choose an environment where you can easily speak and hear without distractions.
- Ask if they’re okay with a serious conversation before beginning.
- If you make a phone call, ask if it’s a good time to talk. If it’s not, arrange a time to call back.
Many people begin by sharing their personal story, from the very beginning. Your story could address topics such as:
- When and how your symptoms first began
- Your current symptoms and any care you’re receiving, such as dialysis
- How your mental health, work and family have been impacted by your physical health
- Why your care team suggests finding a living donor
- Why a transplant from a living donor would be preferred over a deceased donor
- What you’re looking forward to doing after transplant
Offer Options
After sharing your own story one-on-one, the listener may have questions or prompt you for more information about being tested. You can also offer a few options for how they can help:
- Learn more: “Would you be interested in learning more about becoming a living donor?”
- Consider getting tested: “Would you consider being tested to see if we’re a match?”
- Spread the word: “Would you consider sharing my story with others to help me find a match?”
Let them know they don’t have to answer right away, and ask if they have any questions or thoughts about what you’ve explained. It may also be helpful to remind interested donors that at any point, for any reason, the evaluation process can be stopped.
In addition, prospective donors can visit The National Living Donor Assistance Center or United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) for more information on becoming a living donor.
Consider Using the Internet
Another approach is sharing your story via email or social media. You can use many of the same tips above to create a compelling message that can be shared digitally.
If you decide to take this approach, keep in mind a few tips:
- Talk to your care team about how much to share in a public forum like social media. You can never erase anything from the internet, but you can always share more at a later time or in person.
- Remember that emails and social media posts can be forwarded or shared to people beyond your contact list. Make sure you’re only sharing information that you wouldn’t mind being passed along to others.
- Include a photo of yourself. If you’re sharing a photo that includes other people, get their permission first.
- Include a “call to action” at the end. How can readers get in touch with you to learn more?
Handling Responses
Keep in mind that living donation is a powerful way to give the gift of life and that many donors are honored to do so. In fact, between 90 and 95 percent of living donors say they wouldn’t change a thing about their donation process – they would go through all of the screenings, tests, surgery and recovery all over again in order to save a life.
Be realistic and positive as you receive responses. Remember that careful consideration takes time. Some people may make a decision immediately, while others will need to think about the details or take some time to ask questions and do research.
If someone expresses interest in becoming a donor, thank them and point them to this online registration form that initiates the process.