Georgine Hurst
In June I wrote an article entitled “You Have Two But You Only Need One” about the need for living kidney donors and how to become a donor. This article provides a snapshot of what donor candidates experience. Note that each kidney center determines its own requirements for donors and recipients. Donors may be anywhere from 18 to 75 years of age and in good health. All donor expenses are covered by medical insurance and national nonprofit organizations.
Medical: Overall, medical testing is extremely thorough. If a prospective donor does not initially meet requirements, a center may provide treatment so that the donor can meet them. An example is obesity which could be helped with a diet and exercise program.
Psychological: Screening for overall mental health is done, including motivation for becoming a donor. A donor friend of mine, Jan Henrikson, relates the tale of a young man who wanted to be a donor because it would look good on his resume; obviously, not an acceptable reason. Jan felt well-cared for throughout the entire process. She was contacted by a volunteer from the National Kidney Registry. The volunteer was a former donor herself, and not affiliated with any Center. She was available to answer Jan’s questions and to provide support. Jan importantly notes, “There was never for one second any pressure from anyone to do this. Just education, evaluation, and support for whatever I desired.”
Acceptance: Jan’s transplant team determined whether she met the criteria as a donor. The team was a surgeon, two social workers, a donor advocate, and a nurse coordinator, her main contact. Later a psychiatrist and a nutritionist were added.
Post-surgery: Followup medical care for the donor includes blood tests every 6 months for two years and periodic social worker calls. Like any post-surgery, the donor has temporary restrictions afterwards and will miss two to four weeks of work. In the future a donor would receive priority in the very small chance a kidney would be needed.
Arizona transplant centers: Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Tucson, Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, and University of Arizona Medical Center. To look at becoming a donor, go to kidneyregistry.org and click the “For Donors” tab.