Kidney Donation
When you elect to become an organ donor, your generous, precious gift may save up to eight lives—and enhance many others through tissue donation. Last year alone, organ donors made possible more than 28,000 transplants. Unfortunately, thousands die every year waiting for a donor organ that never comes. You have the power to change that.
At Crozer Health, we provide a Living Donor Advocate for every Living Donor candidate—an independent, non-transplant team specialist to help potential living donors understand the issues and specifics of kidney donation. And of course, we offer a wealth of educational materials for transplant candidates and living donors, alike.
Learn more about organ donation. Call The Kidney Transplant Team at 610-619-8420 or email kidney@crozer.org.
Kidney Donation Process
Organ Donation Options
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation provide a second chance at life for thousands of people each year. You have the opportunity to be one of the individuals who make these miracles happen.
By deciding to be a donor, you give the gift of hope ... hope for the thousands of individuals awaiting organ transplants and hope for the millions of individuals whose lives could be enhanced through tissue transplants.
Learn more at www.organdonor.gov.
How to Become a Donor
The most important thing to do is to sign up as an organ and tissue donor in your state's donor registry. To cover all of the bases, it’s also helpful to:
- Designate your decision on your driver's license.
- Tell your family about your donation decision.
- Tell your physician, faith leader, and friends.
- Include donation in your advance directives, will, and living will.
Donation Options
There are two ways that you can become an organ donor. The first—and the one that most people think of when they hear the term “organ donor,” is to become a donor upon your death. The second is to become what is known as a Living Donor.
Living organ donation dates back to 1954, when a kidney from one twin was successfully transplanted into his identical brother. Today, the number of living organ donors is more than 6,000 per year, and one in four of these donors isn’t biologically related to the recipient.
Learn more at www.organdonor.gov.
The Advantages of Living Donor Transplants
There are several advantages of a living-related donor or a living unrelated donor transplant over cadaveric donor transplants.
The waiting time is shorter. (The average waiting time, depending on blood type for a deceased renal transplant, in this region is up to six years.) A living-related or a living-unrelated transplant can be scheduled for a time that is convenient for both the donor and the recipient.
Kidneys transplanted from living donors tend to work right away.
Kidneys transplanted from living related and living unrelated donors last longer than kidneys transplanted from cadaveric donors.
Becoming a Living Donor at Crozer Health
If you are interested in being a living donor, you should contact the Crozer Health Medical Center Living Donor Kidney Program at 610-619-8420 to request a questionnaire. Once the questionnaire is completed, it is reviewed by a Transplant Coordinator and a determination is made regarding the Kidney/Donor Evaluation process.
The decision to become a living donor involves careful consideration and is a completely voluntary one. If you are considering being a living organ donor, it’s important to educate yourself about the donation process, required testing, financial considerations, risks and recovery. It is also important to know that you may change your mind at any time during the process. Your decision and reasons are kept confidential.
Learn More
For Additional Information
If you have a question about Living Donor transplants at Crozer Health, email kidney@crozer.org or call 610-619-8420.