According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), help for living donors may be imminent due to changes that may occur nationally related to present and future benefits for living donors.
A kidney is one of several organs that can be donated by a living donor to a transplant candidate along with a lung, or a portion of the liver, pancreas, or intestine. Statistics provided by UNOS reveals kidney transplants are the most commonly transplanted organ. The National Kidney Foundation has been in the forefront of calling for national change to strengthen benefits for all living donors.
“Adult kidney transplantation is perhaps the greatest success among all the procedures. Receiving a cadaveric graft doubles a patient’s chances of survival, and a living-donor graft quadruples them,” according to an article published in 2019 by the Texas Heart Institute.
Oftentimes, family, friends, or even strangers desire to help those who are waiting for a second chance at life by becoming a living donor. Organ recipients generally have better results when they receive organs from living donors. Strengthening benefits for living donors has the potential to increase the number of individuals willing to become living donors.
Supporters of national change are seeking improved benefits in the areas of life, disability, long-term insurance and by having organ donation categorized as a serious health condition allowing donors to be eligible for qualified time-off from work under FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act). Additionally, supporters request that low-cost methods be implemented to promote the strengthened benefits for living organ donation. Combined with benefits already available on the local level in many states, the changes may make organ donation more attractive to a larger pool of potential living donors.
Learn more about how these changes will benefit living donors
Becoming a Living Donor
“Most transplant centers require a living donor to be at least 18 years old; healthy and active; able to take time off work or school to get the tests and interviews; and able to take off at least 2-3 weeks from work or school after the surgery,” according to information found at the UNOS website.
Individuals desiring to become an organ donor begin the process with a transplant center. If a potential living donor decides to have a non-directed donation, they should contact a transplant center in their area to learn about the types of transplants they perform and how to proceed. If their donation is to someone they know, they should contact that patient’s transplant center for more information.
Financial Assistance
Living donors have a desire to donate an organ but may lack the financial resources to cover medical expenses to make the donation possible. The National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) offer fundraising assistance to living donors by providing them access to unique fundraising tools and consultants. Learn how NFT can help living donors offset costs for medical expenses related to organ donation. Download our Living Donor Brochure.
Help someone waiting for a second chance. Get started with NFT today.