More than 88,000 people in America are waiting for a kidney transplant; sadly, about 12 of these patients die every day because there aren’t enough donors. Many kidney patients have someone who is willing to donate, but because of immune system or blood type incompatibilities, they are not able to give a kidney to their loved one.
The Alliance for Paired Donation can help. Kidney paired donation matches one incompatible donor/recipient pair to another pair in the same situation, so that the donor of the first pair gives to the recipient of the second, and vice versa. In other words, the two pairs swap kidneys . APD has also pioneered a new way of using altruistic, or good Samaritan, donors, so that the transplants no longer have to be performed simultaneously. Non-simultaneous Extended Altruistic Donor Chains (NEAD Chains ) allow donors to “pay it forward” after their loved one receives a transplant.
Big decision, right? Absolutely. But if there is even a tiny part of you that is considering being a kidney donor, then at least look into the process. I have a mixed bag of emotions about all of this... I am nervous, excited, a little apprehensive but most of all optimistic. One thing I can promise everyone is that I will blog the absolute truth about my experience. If something is scary... I will tell you. If something hurts... I will tell you that too. But I have a feeling that whatever might end up being scary or painful is going to be quickly forgotten about after I experience the absolute joy of this process.
Love and hope,
~LL
