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thetomahawk42 t1_j4r1roa wrote

This is really common. And it's been great for people receiving transplants.

The premise is that if you need a kidney, a family member would generally be more than willing to donate to you. But they might not be a match.

So instead the family members details go into a database, and a chain or loop is established -- their kidney goes to family A, whose kidney goes to family B, whose kidney goes to C, ..., and you receive family X's kidney.

All of these people are donating to strangers, and thus getting a kidney for their own loved one. Basically they donated a kidney for their loved one instead of to their loved one. But their loved one gets a kidney, and gets a huge improvement to their lives.

It's a fantastic system.

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LanaDelHeeey t1_j4r3hjl wrote

Its like in a point and click game where to get the sword you need to trade for a ruby which you need to trade for a necklace which you trade for a locket which you trade for a notebook which you trade for a hammer which you trade for a broom which you trade for a cool looking rock you found except it starts with an organ and ends with an organ.

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neonchasms t1_j4r6jak wrote

>except it starts with an organ and ends with an organ.

Sounds like a great time

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Snoo63 t1_j4skwye wrote

Or starting off with a paperclip and ending up with a house?

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GodEmperorBrian t1_j4tbaw7 wrote

I wonder how many people on Reddit actually understand that reference at this point.

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Twindude1 t1_j4swyo7 wrote

The goron need his eyedrops to make the sword

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notpeternotpete t1_j4ra7fz wrote

My mom donated her kidney to a stranger a couple years ago and the transplant team was able to make a 6 person donation chain following her donation as a result. The ability to set off a reaction that changes that many lives is a beautiful thing. For folks who are considering donation to a stranger (or a “non-directed donation”), many major hospital systems have registries you can sign up for, and transplant teams will be more than happy to meet with you to talk about the process and associated risks.

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Astavri t1_j4rpxrt wrote

That sounds like a true alturistic donation. No one in your family recieved a kidney in return?

Here's a link describing the chain for anyone else wanting to see it. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/nondirected-living-donor/pyc-20384850

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notpeternotpete t1_j4s184i wrote

Nope! She intentionally wanted to start the chain.

The transplant team’s social worker and clinical psychiatrist did require her to have conversations with my father, my siblings and I individually to talk about how we’d feel if we did someday need a kidney and she wasn’t able to donate to us - we all felt the same way, which was that we didn’t feel that she owed us even the potential of a kidney donation, much less the organ itself. Thought that was an interesting part of the process!

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thecityofthefuture t1_j4t291b wrote

The National Kidney Registry will let you designate 5 people to get "vouchers" that put them at the top of the list if they later need one. I donated to a stranger in September and my parents, wife, and kids all have vouchers if they need a kidney someday.

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srpsychosexythatisme t1_j4skm5f wrote

This is interesting. I work in the dialysis field and know of the transplant exchange system, But never stopped to think that this makes sense vs finding 2 donatees that will just be swapped out with each other. I mean, that would just be a longer process/wait time that would not be very practical at all.

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Aalnius t1_j4uhji9 wrote

its really weird that she was required to talk to her family about this as if we owe family members our organs.

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Luuk341 t1_j4v29tm wrote

I dont think its an "owe" thing.

I had been reading this whole thread and it never even occurred to me that one of MY family members would even need one my kidneys.

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Aalnius t1_j4v69l3 wrote

the bit where it said they were required to talk to their family about it makes it seem like the organs are owed to the family and they have to sign off on you giving the organs away.

Which feels absurd, if it was just a matter of making the patient aware their organs could be used for family they could just state that in the disclaimers.

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Deweyneversaysdie t1_j4sscpj wrote

I donated in a chain 7 years ago through the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (Toledo, OH). From what I know, I was a link in a chain 4 donations across the country all within a day or two. A relative of the person that received my kidney was in the system waiting to serve as a link on another chain, too.

If anyone is interested in the donor experience with APD, I’m happy to chat.

https://paireddonation.org/

Edit: Fixed typo

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Astavri t1_j4t2pzj wrote

Where they reluctant to let you do it and why did you do it? What gain is there for you? Even if minimal, ie. spiritual gain, or satisfaction that you know you helped someone.

There's quite a bit of ethic issues that arise from non directed donation that folks wouldn't think exists. You'd think providers would be happy to have volunteers but that's not the case.

There was someone on reddit who made an AMA about it and I feel they shouldn't have been allowed to do it based on the rules of being excluded if you desire to do it for attention since it seemed to indirectly related to attention seeking.

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Deweyneversaysdie t1_j4ta2ln wrote

My SO was nervous. They are more squeamish about medical stuff overall, though. They had a friend that was previously on the waitlist for a kidney for long time, so that gave them some perspective.

I did it after learning about how many people wait for years to receive something life-saving that other people have and don’t really even ever think about in their daily life. I was a blood donor and on the Be the Match registry, so I was already comfortable with the general idea of “giving up” part of me (I don’t feel this way, but that’s how many people talk about it.) When I researched paired donation and found out the potential impacts of the chain reaction, I was even more convinced it was the right thing to do.

I underwent extensive psychological screening and counseling as part of the process, but it seemed like donors that know the recipient undergo other/ possibly more to ensure they’re not feeling pressured, explicitly or implicitly, to do it.

It’s not something I bring up in conversation because I really didn’t do it for attention and I get pretty awkward with some of the extreme praise (“you’re someone’s angel”). I also don’t want to seem like I’m on a soap box or trying to guilt people by something I say. I’m more comfortable talking about it here because you’re all strangers and maybe even jerks, haha.

Here’s what I want to say when people bring it up:

I wish more people would consider it because it was pretty easy in the grand scheme of things and didn’t change my life much at all. I didn’t suffer or sacrifice much, but hopefully the recipient benefited greatly. It didn’t make me a better person. It just had the potential to make a stranger better (physically), and that’s what matters.

I appreciate that much of this thread has been about the process, not one person’s “gift.” It took me a few tries to convince myself to post, but I hoped others would be interested in reading more about organizations that handle paired donation, including the group I went through.

I think I saw that AMA but didn’t participate. I think a better AMA would be with one of the coordinators or surgeons that is involved in the process. They all meet so many people for a short period of time but treat everyone so great. (Like most others in the U.S., I’ve been conditioned to expect frustrating, impersonal healthcare).

Here are 2 quick examples:

I was in awe of how my donation coordinator handled so many different people and tasks, all with genuine care. At one point, I was a potential match for someone and had to travel to the center for advanced testing. It was winter and my connecting flight got cancelled. It was only a few hours away, so after I told her repeatedly I was okay with it, she booked me a rental car. She checked in with me throughout the drive, offered to make sure the hotel had a meal ready for me upon arrival, etc.

I travelled from out of state to donate and when one of the surgeons found out, they invited me to their house for dinner during the week I was recovering locally. It was a low-key family dinner and we didn’t talk about the surgery. I appreciated it greatly.

I’m sorry for such a lengthy response. Like I said, I rarely ever talk about it and I think this was a bit of a healthy release of thoughts I keep to myself. Thank you!

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kookiemaster t1_j4tgnys wrote

There is a lot of scrutiny when you try to make a non directed donation. Here (in Canada) we can do it with a bunch of psychosocial screenings. I struggled to explain why I wanted to donate but basically with very minimal risk to myself I could give someone a decade or two of way better quality of life. It may seem purely altruistic but knowing that some stranger somewhere got a bit longer to live their lives is something very comforting. I did get an anonymous letter from him and it was a father of two who was able to go back ro work so his wife wouldn't carry that whole burden herself. He spoke about being able to see his kids grow up. To know I played a part in it meant a lot to me. That is my "benefit". It has in some way improved my mental health because no matter what I at least did that one good thing.

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Astavri t1_j4uzdiz wrote

It's funny one of the most rare things happens to be on reddit in the same comment chain, someone's mother, and two people themselves.

It's internet so forgive me for my skepticism.

Your history shows talking about personality disorders and anxiety/depression. I don't think they would have let you donate, but I don't let false information fill my mind.

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kookiemaster t1_j4v9rwc wrote

If you are so curious the depression was about 10 years in remission when I donated. If you have active depression sure, likely not possible to donate, but a history of depression isn't a full on counter-indication. I was honest with the psychiatrist about it. The depression was sort of linked to having a schizoid personality and actually understanding how my personality was built did wonders to deal with the depression; enough to get off meds and therapy.

It is true that PDs are kind of permanent but they are only a "disorder" so long as they really impact your functioning. There was a time when it did, but when I donated, it didn't. If you can live independently, work, support yourself and have a reasonably stable life, despite being mostly a loner and preferring solitary activities, I was very happy and content when I donated.

Back then psychiatrist doing the assessment asked me why I wanted to donate, and about things like mood, sleep, etc. I think they want to ensure people realize what donation entails and that your motivation is not linked to a mental disorder.

And well, the anxiety is recent. A derecho hit our city, and to massive trees fell on our house. The follow-up chaos sent me in to an anxiety spiral. I mean, I've been a worrier all my life but only for certain things. House getting destroyed is one of them. So yeah, fun times. But much better now.

And for what it's worth, there is a pretty big Reddit community related to transplants (donors and recipients), to share info on the process, etc.

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cyberFluke t1_j4ugd0m wrote

I feel you. Our lives are at worth it, knowing we made others' lives better, that we saved a life.

I haven't donated tissue, (yet?) but I know I have been in the right place at the right time to save at least one life. I draw comfort from knowing that I made a positive difference somewhere.

Tha's a good egg, as we say round these parts. 🧡

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kookiemaster t1_j4vb0er wrote

I view it as buying ther person time. Pretty much any organ eventually gets rejected but a decade or two is something.

You can also donate post mortem or bone marrow. Still on the registry for that but I think I am getting too old for that.

And even people who get assessed and cannot donate are to be comended. They were willing to do it but couldn't for whatever reason. Can be as uncontrollable as the anatomy of your kidneys (number of arteries, synetry, etc).

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cyberFluke t1_j4vhyqh wrote

Here in the UK, we have an opt-in (except on a new driving licence application, defaults in unless you tick a box IIRC) organ donor registry which will use any bits I'm willing to donate (the lot, if it's of any use to anyone. What do I need it for? I'm dead at this point 😂).

It does require me to either die close enough to a hospital, or die in such a way that my meatbag can be kept on support until they can strip it for parts though. A dead human doesn't stay viable as parts for very long, and our NHS is collapsing before our very eyes (as is intended by the vile vultures in power, but that's another story entirely...)

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kookiemaster t1_j4vv43p wrote

I also registered to donate my body to science (with a university in my city) so of organ donation doesn't pan out I can help train doctors. I think they would still take my body sans the one kidney I gave, but not with the full post mortem donation (won't be much left to use XD).

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srpsychosexythatisme t1_j4sidof wrote

Wow! That’s amazing and beautiful to know this happened. I work with dialysis patients and when my patients get a transplant I am so happy for them. I tell them it’s their second birthday. Without dialysis, they wouldn’t be alive. It is their lifeline. It’s amazing that the US government covers this life sustaining treatment. Now, why can’t this be a thing for other chronic diseases?

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BrazenRaizen t1_j4rlbz2 wrote

yup. Going through this now with my wife. Ill likely be the one to give up a kidney but dont think we are a match.

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FeoWalcot t1_j4sm78q wrote

Good luck to you guys!

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BrazenRaizen t1_j4smp9g wrote

Thanks! Never would have guessed child birth could leave you needing a new kidney…but here we are

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Astavri t1_j4rp35n wrote

Paired organ donation is what it's called.

The only living donor without benefit is an alturistic kidney donor. They, nor their family receive anything for it, so they don't do a kidney exchange, they just give a kidney.

This article is a bit misleading or unclear, im not sure if his daughter received a kidney from a deceased donor or a living one or if it was a "paired match" type of donation as you mentioned.

It sounds like his daughter got a kidney, and he, after, decided to be an alturistic donor. But I'm not sure.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/nondirected-living-donor/pyc-20384850

Edit: looks like it was a living donor scheme so exactly as you said with matching other families. He was doing it in exchange for his daughter. Not to be pessimistic but he did it for a reason. Someone gave his daughter a life changing present and he gave them a life changing present.

Very very few living donors are allturistic ones.

I don't know why but I read up on the most random things.

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the_pinklemon t1_j4rpn64 wrote

If I understood the article correctly, this family signed up for the scheme but the daughter got a kidney anyway without him being forced to donate his. But, he decided to still donate to someone.

The way they framed it at least, it sounded like he was basically given a get out of jail free card for some reason, and could’ve opted not to donate even after his daughter received a kidney. But he still chose to, which I think is kinda the story.

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StarChaser_Tyger t1_j4rtdck wrote

Can confirm. In the process of being evaluated for a transplant now. If you have someone willing to donate a kidney, you go right to the top of the list, even if it doesn't match you, it'll match someone, and you get the next available match.

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scothc t1_j4s7jry wrote

Both of my parents have donated kidneys to strangers, and the kidney voucher program that would cover their children (my brothers and i) was a nice perk

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Deweyneversaysdie t1_j4ssoci wrote

I donated altruistically and my SO calls it my “organ fast pass” or “kidney golden ticket” when he explains it to people.

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fieriwalkwithme t1_j4sn7v8 wrote

Yes! Not a kidney, but I received a bone marrow transplant from a complete stranger. I wouldn’t be here today without him. That’s all I know is his gender.

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Noyiz t1_j4sfdoc wrote

New Amsterdam did an episode about that.

clip

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mcnathan80 t1_j4v3ksz wrote

It's like the hermit crab shell shuffle, but for kidneys! Awww

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greedcrow t1_j4tj7js wrote

The dude who came up with the system won a nobel price for it, i believe.

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mntgoat t1_j4tuifz wrote

Yeap. I think his name is Alvin Roth.

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[deleted] t1_j4t330q wrote

"5 SECOND RULE! 5 SECOND RULE!"

IYKYK.

>!It's from grey's anatomy where they did a domino transplant (pair matched kidney donation) with 12 people!<

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BleachigoKurosaki t1_j4qqd8e wrote

The title made me think the father received his daughter’s kidney, then regifted it to some random stranger.

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Aniihya t1_j4qtu7u wrote

"Last Christmas I gave you my K I D N E Y, but the very next day you gave it away." 🎶

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C-D-W t1_j4rulpn wrote

In my head I'm saying Bean instead of Kidney. And I'm giggling every time.

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deepfriedceleron t1_j4qrlt9 wrote

Same haha. Maybe he found out her kidney has kidney stones and would rather die than pass one.

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DustySaloon5 t1_j4qro70 wrote

😂 that would be the ultimate regifting.

"You keep the receipt for the kidney? No? Oh.....yeah no it's lovely it's just what I wanted...."

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Frangiblepani t1_j4rgpy0 wrote

Or maybe he got one from his daughter and he passed his remaining factory fitted kidney to someone else.

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Kuli24 t1_j4ri4ba wrote

2 steals and then it's yours for good right?

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Longjumping-Film-896 t1_j4qh9ax wrote

"I felt that I had given someone a nice Christmas present," The dad said this after donating his kidney. So sweet!!

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ialsoagree t1_j4r7084 wrote

If you'd like to do something similar, you can sign up for a bone marrow registry. It's very quick and easy, usually done entirely through the mail.

I've been on one for years. They say most people will never get called but you could be helping save someone's life!

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owls_unite t1_j4r803n wrote

Do I need a box for the marrow or is a padded envelope enough?

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CalebKrawdad t1_j4resb6 wrote

I donated marrow , I would be highly impressed if you could collect it, and send it yourself!

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hummingbird_mywill t1_j4rcqwh wrote

Huh? They send you a kit and you swab inside your mouth and send it back to them according to the instructions. In the US it’s bethematch.org. In Canada it’s at blood.ca. Not sure about other countries.

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owls_unite t1_j4rdl18 wrote

I was making a stupid joke, sorry. >! Since OP said it was easy to do, as it was done via mail these days. !< Thank you for dropping the links!

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thebauzzo t1_j4rdktf wrote

Jup. And usually you'll get a kit to get blood drawn by your doctor for more detailed typing if needed

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hummingbird_mywill t1_j4rd0ns wrote

Yes! I’m on this too. I’ve been on the list in Canada for 16 years and haven’t been contacted yet, and recently on the US list. I tell everyone too!

US: bethematch.org Canada: blood.ca

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randommusician t1_j4ssofz wrote

I actually did get called once but there was another match and they ended up using them instead. So even if you get called it's not a guarantee you'll be asked to give, and for most people it's a one day ordeal, which they cover you are not responsible for the medical bells. Well worth it, and completely free to sign up!

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ialsoagree t1_j4sxxdc wrote

My understanding is that if you get called, you'll go for additional testing and most people won't match or won't be the best match after additional testing.

I think less than 1 in 100 are asked to donate. But you never know if it'll be you!

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camik27 t1_j4s9m7d wrote

And anyone of mixed race is especially encouraged to sign up for potential donation!

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IntroductionLazy2985 t1_j4qr365 wrote

It comes with age you Begin to respect life even more and cherish every day. He did a great deed by giving Life in so many ways.

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aeon_ducks t1_j4s1nc5 wrote

Honestly in this case I don't even think it was about his age. Reaaally imagine what this dad went through before his daughter got the kidney. To see your kid wither away forced to go through dialysis( which I've heard is pretty fucking awful) day after day, then the relief when they finally got better. If I was in his shoes I can imagine I'd want to do the same for someone else going through something so horrible, and let their family get that same relief mine got to enjoy.

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leelee1976 t1_j4sdq4j wrote

My aunt is on dialysis. I see her monthly for lunch. She loses between 9 and 25 pounds a month now. Her Dr is very concerned.

This woman was a force of nature, and now is so weak and frail compared. She's still a force of nature mentally.

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justwant_tobepretty t1_j4r4z94 wrote

Voting habits say otherwise.

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Sasquatchjc45 t1_j4rcbw8 wrote

No it's true, it's just that they value their own lives and nobody else's.

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OuidOuigi t1_j4reiuk wrote

Ahh yeah average redditor stereotyping. Do you get paid for the division? And I shouldn't have to say I'm not a republican just tired of children who want to divide people with common goals.

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justwant_tobepretty t1_j4rg7eu wrote

I get paid in cash, catgirls, femboys and right wing tears. I'm so glad to have come across a 'not a Republican' though! Please do tell, which of your views aren't right wing? Maybe we have something in common? Like a self sufficient, armed and independent local community?

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theskypebandit t1_j4rf503 wrote

I donated my kidney to a close friend in April 2022 and let me say, the vigorous testing before the surgery is way more intense than the actual surgery/recovery as a donor. The way it was explained was that if you are viable for a donation but not matching in any regard (blood and/or tissue type) then they put you into a national database (as least here in the US) where they pair you up with another similar situation pair. Lucky for us we were the same blood and tissue type. All in all, if anyone out there is curious in donating, I recommend reading up about it to see what it entails. I could probably answer any questions too

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ClassBShareHolder t1_j4seatm wrote

What’s involved? And are there age limits? I’m 52. I’ve thought about doing it for years but it’s not easy to find info.

My daughter’s roommate and brother are both going to need kidneys.

I finally took the step of emailing health services (twice) and haven’t heard anything back.

It surprised me that it would take more than a couple days to get a response.

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Specific_Stuff t1_j4sp46t wrote

My mother did an altruistic donation late last year. She ended up having to go through two different organizations as the first organization was basically in shambles after covid. It was a lot of rigorous blood tests and endurance tests over the span of a few months. She is 63 and we were told that her recipient is a woman of similar age with polycystic kidney disease. Thanks to her donation I am now on a list where, if I ever need a kidney donation, I will be a higher priority organ recipient.

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theskypebandit t1_j4t21re wrote

This was my experience too, I went all the way through one organization and got up to donation day only for some last minute blood testing showing that my recipient has an infection. They were so slow on treating it and we decided to go through another organization closer to her home (I’m in CA while she is in AZ). The second organization fast-tracked us through the process (more testing in a smaller timeframe, first time around took months while second time took 2 weeks) due to my prior approval. Had a date for the surgery scheduled in a month.

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theskypebandit t1_j4t5m9q wrote

A ton of testing to determine if you’re a viable candidate for the person you’re donating to. The restrictions are typically pretty strict, no pre-existing issues that would affect you after the fact. The main purpose of the testing isn’t to make sure you’re a viable candidate, it’s to make sure you’ll be fine afterwards.

You’d get a complete work up on yourself, you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about your kidneys & blood medically. A lot of urinating into containers and people checking in on you. I learned through this process that both my kidneys have 2 renal arteries, which don’t serve any purpose. They tell you that the anatomy of your kidneys can disqualify you, basically if the surgeon doesn’t feel comfortable, they won’t operate.

My recipients mother was going to donate (58), completely compatible, but they didn’t move forward because there was a vein wrapped around the ureter. Like she’s fine but the surgeon didn’t feel comfortable.

You’ll meet with the following:

A kidney doctor (can’t remember the official name off the top of my head, sorry kidney doctors reading this thread!)

A psychologist(PTSD and post donation depression are REAL and the psychologist makes sure you’re fine mentally)

A social worker (to make sure you’d thought it through, and that you have a recovery plan. You need someone to take care of you while recovering since you can’t drive or lift anything heavier than 4lb. for a week at least. The recovery plan is key, have an idea of who’s gonna take care of you before you go in)

A dietician (makes sure you’re eating healthy and that your diet is maintainable and not going to hurt you. They require that you have a BMI below 30. I had a BMI of 32 the first time around and they conditionally approved me to move forward if I lost weight before the surgery, which I did)

A nurse coordinator (the main correspondent you’ll be talking to. This person is typically the one scheduling everything with you and telling you what’s next. My nurse coordinator was amazing, she was so sweet & made the whole process seamless).

As far as the surgery, I’ve been told by a few women that the incision/scarring is very similar to a C-section with an exception: there’s also 3 incisions made on your stomach where a probe is used to cut the kidney loose. They also pump your torso full of CO2 and leave it in there when they’re done, you’ll need to sleep on your back for a while or risk some terrible pain in your shoulder if laying on your side.

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ClassBShareHolder t1_j4t9mom wrote

Thanks. I’m wasn’t planning on donating to anyone specifically but now I’m planning on donating for someone. I assumed they’d check to make sure I’m healthy so no surprises.

Note to figure out why they’re not blowing up my phone trying to get the process started.

I may have to be a little more proactive than just an email asking how I go about donating a kidney.

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twirlingbunny t1_j5ruy97 wrote

Hi. My daughter is almost 2 years old and on dialysis. If you seriously consider live donation, it would mean everything to me if you named my daughter as the voucher recipient on the National Kidney Registry form. Let me know if you decide to or need more information. Have a wonderful day. DM me.

https://nkr.donorscreen.org/register/now?_ga=2.147916528.676630678.1674585835-22162033.1672955446

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ClassBShareHolder t1_j5rw78k wrote

I am in Canada and know 2 people that need. That’s why the sudden urgency to get something on the go.

I wish you luck. As a parent, I can’t imagine the pain you must be dealing with right now.

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Fdashboard t1_j4tonv8 wrote

Who ends up paying for all of this? I've been interesting in becoming a donor, but was wondering if I should switch to a better insurance beforehand.

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theskypebandit t1_j4tr4zc wrote

The testing in my case was paid for by the organization doing the testing. Typically the recipients insurance pays for everything in the hospital and any medication needed (pain was minimal, literally just was taking Tylenol) I didn’t have to pay for anything at all for my hospital stay except the place I stayed in while recovering after discharge and that was of my own choice. I didn’t even have to tell my insurance. The other thing I forgot to mention is that they require you to stay within roughly a half hour of the hospital in case you have complications. Typically the organization will help you find somewhere to stay/offer you a place to stay for cheap.

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ChristmasMeat t1_j4su0ee wrote

52 is fine, just need to be healthy. If you've not heard back I'd look to contact transplant directly.

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ClassBShareHolder t1_j4t9u87 wrote

That’s my next plan. I’m pretty busy so I thought firing off a quick email over the holidays would get things rolling. Apparently not.

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twirlingbunny t1_j6dxvxp wrote

Are you in the US?

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ClassBShareHolder t1_j6e0i0a wrote

Canada. They’ve finally got back to me. Now I’m waiting to see if if I’m rejected because of low grade prostate cancer.

1

LeafsChick t1_j4t6ok2 wrote

My uncle (moms brother) tried to donate his to my Dad. Went through a ton of test, psych stuff. One of the last tests they found cancer (I forget where, one of his organs), and whatever kind it was they said he probably wouldn’t have found till the symptoms were really bad and it would have been terrible to treat. So he couldn’t donate, but wound up being a massive blessing!

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SatanLifeProTips t1_j4r8zhb wrote

Damn, I wouldn’t give up a spare kidney.

However I am a motorcycle rider. Always encourage all your rider buddies to ‘check every single donor box’. If I am splattered all over the front of a Mack truck they can do whatever they like with the leftover bits. I’m not using them anymore.

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somaforthesoul t1_j4rtxe8 wrote

People say this but have you actually joiend the organ donor list? Takes two mins.

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itstommygun t1_j4qywi8 wrote

Is there there a whole group for this kind of thing? You join the group and when your special person that you would love to give a kidney for is able to get one, you then donate to someone else in the group.

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8557019 t1_j4r7kza wrote

Yes! It's called paired donation (sometimes also called a chain donation)! I wish more people knew about it. You can give without being a match.

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bazpoint t1_j4rhosd wrote

Even better I believe there is a system that can set up circular trades, so if the circumstance occurs where donor A wants to donate to recipient A but is incompatible, donor A instead donates to recipient B who also has an incompatible donor, & if B's donor is incompatible with recipient A, they donate to recipient C, and so on and so forth until donor F or whatever is compatible with recipient A and so completes the loop.

The system is even better in that an altruistic donor with no specific recipient can help not just one person, but potentially unlock chain of donations helping change the lives of multiple recipients.

I heard a podcast about it a couple of years ago... unfortunately I can't remember which it was, but if it comes to me I'll post it here.

edit: Ah, found it - it was Freakonomics: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/make-me-a-match-2/ ...it was also not a couple of years ago, but 7 years ago, almost to the day, which makes me feel ollllllllld 😭

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break_from_work t1_j4qvqng wrote

It takes a special human being to give away organs

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megwump t1_j4s8spd wrote

PSA for people aged 16-30: you can also sign up to donate stem cells. You can change/save a life without giving away any permanent part of you.

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lbrtrl t1_j4sbz25 wrote

Take a kidney, leave a kidney

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schroedingersnewcat t1_j4reb0n wrote

I would do the donation if I could, but they don't want my organs- or blood for that matter.

I don't blame them, cancer sucks.

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theOldSeaman t1_j4t0pbw wrote

Everyone should automatically have their organs harvested when they die and if you don’t want to donate (or receive) organs then you should have to carry a card around with you. By choosing not to donate, you are choosing not to receive organs if you need them.

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Sassydemure t1_j4so998 wrote

Thank you. My husband was an organ transplant recipient. We appreciate you.

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mouserz t1_j4t97su wrote

I'm on the transplant list waiting for a kidney - it's stories like these that give me hope!

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buzz86us t1_j4ssgif wrote

we need a take an organ leave an organ jar

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hhh888hhhh t1_j4swpda wrote

I need This good news.

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ncc74656m t1_j4vr27b wrote

I've signed up following my uncle's need for one. Turned out I was a.match but an older woman was also a match, and it seemed they wanted to go in that direction since I was younger. Not sure if there was an assumption that she would be less likely to have issues in life requiring their own transplant.

Don't forget there are other good options for donation too, I have been on the bone marrow registry since I was like 25 because my boss's son got leukemia (sadly he didn't survive, but left an amazing legacy).

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twirlingbunny t1_j6dy5j5 wrote

Are you interested in being a live organ donor? My baby daughter needs a transplant.

Meet Matilda! This beautiful girl, who is almost 2 years old now, was born with kidney disease. Matilda needs a kidney transplant to make her better.

Every night, Matilda is hooked up to a dialysis machine to remove toxins from her body. This machine does the job that a healthy baby's kidneys would do, although not as well. You see, Matilda was born with multicystic dysplastic kidney disease, which prevented the normal development of both of her kidneys. She is basically living life with no kidney function. She will need multiple transplants in her lifetime for her to live a long, healthy life.

Anyone living in the United States can be a kidney donor for Matilda. A living donor's kidneys work longer and better than those from a deceased donor. And now, Matilda is old enough to accept a kidney from an adult donor.

Even if you aren't an exact match to donate your kidney to Matilda directly, there is a program that allows Matilda to benefit if you donate a kidney to one of the many kidney patients that are in need of a transplant. It is a voucher program that will put Matilda to the top of the recipient list, if you donate in her name. And, just think, in this way, you are actually helping to save two people who have kidney disease.

And yes, you can live a healthy, normal life after donation. Many people in this world have only one kidney and most never even know it! Please donate your spare kidney to Matilda or one of her many friends who are children in need of a transplant.

Interested in getting tested to be a living kidney donor? It's totally free! Remember, if you aren't a perfect match for Matilda, she can still get a kidney through the voucher program if you donate in her name.

Donating your kidney today will bless Matilda with a long, healthy life.

Contact Mom (Molly) DM and See if you can donate @ https://www.kidneyregistry.org/

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