Share Your Spare

A kidney donation is a precious gift. Although most people are born with two kidneys, they can live normal, healthy lives with one.  That extra kidney could save the life of someone who cannot wait for a deceased donor organ. Beje Thomas, MD, nephrologist and Medical College of Wisconsin faculty member, talks about the National Kidney Registry and how the program works to close the gap between the need and availability of donor kidneys. 

How critical is the need for living kidney donations? 

Per the National Kidney Foundation, nearly 90,000 people were waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States in 2024. About 27,000 kidney transplants were done in 2023. People on the wait list have an increased mortality risk, as well as a higher risk of complications due to their primary disease and dialysis. With a kidney donation from a living donor, as opposed to one from a deceased donor, we can expedite and control the timeline for surgery. Living donor kidneys have quicker function, work better and last longer than kidneys from a deceased donor. 

Who is eligible to be a living kidney donor? 

A donor must be at least 18 years old and pass an extensive screening process. They meet with a medical team and an independent living donor advocate. The donation is done laparoscopically, and complications are rare. 

Do you need to be a direct match or a perfect match?

You don’t have to be a perfect match to donate a kidney. There are certain requirements to use a particular kidney for transplant. If a specific living donor is not a fit for a recipient, we use the National Kidney Registry’s “paired exchange” program, which allows people to donate to a stranger. The registry will then find an eligible kidney for the donor’s family member or friend. 

What role does the National Kidney Registry play in living kidney donation? 

The National Kidney Registry is an entity that matches donors with recipients and coordinates with the transplant center. It truly takes a village to make this process work. 

What is the living kidney donor’s financial commitment and long-term health outlook? 

The donor’s workup and surgery expenses are covered by the recipient’s insurance. The National Kidney Registry’s Donor Shield program helps with the donor’s travel, lodging and dependent care costs, as well as lost wages. Living kidney donors are encouraged to continue living a healthy lifestyle and avoid certain medications. Their remaining kidney is adequate for maintaining good health.

Donating a Kidney to a Stranger

Leigh Anne Mixon knows all the statistics about the waiting lists for kidneys. And she has met many people whose lives have been touched by organ donation. She is vice president of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Transplant Program. Her background and knowledge of the impact organ donation can make were part of the reason she became a living donor, donating a kidney in November 2024. 

Her donation was performed at Froedtert Hospital and matched to a waiting recipient through the National Kidney Registry. While she did not know who would receive the kidney, she knew their life would be changed by her donation. “The body functions very well with one kidney,” Leigh Anne said. “I knew if I could have a positive impact on someone’s life without detriment to myself, I wanted to do it.” 

Read about Leigh Anne’s experience as a living kidney donor, including the evaluation process, the surgery and recovery and the benefits for the donor.