Becoming a living kidney donor
Who can be a living kidney donor?
To be a living donor, you must:
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Be an adult (over age 18) able to make
an informed decision -
Be in good physical and mental health
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Understand the risks and benefits of living donation
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Decide for yourself if living donation is right for you
As a potential kidney donor, you will work with a transplant center throughout the donation process. This is a healthcare facility dedicated to transplant care.
Did you know?
People can live long, healthy lives with 1 kidney.
The transplant center staff will need a lot of information about you to make sure you are healthy enough to donate in order to make the final decision. Certain health issues may cause the transplant center staff not to approve you to donate an organ. This is for your health and safety. Different transplant centers may have different criteria, but here are some examples of such health issues:
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Uncontrolled high blood pressure
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Untreated psychiatric (mental health) condition
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Cancer
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Diabetes
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Certain infections
If you are not approved at one transplant center, you may be able to try other centers. And sometimes, the transplant team may ask you to work on certain health issues, such as to quit smoking, and come back in 3-6 months to try again. They can refer you to resources to help with these health issues.