Renal Transplant Program

Pre-Transplant Clinic

Pre-Transplant Clinic

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You are now officially a transplant candidate and on the waitlist. While on the waitlist, you also have the option of finding a living donor. 

Deceased vs. living kidney donation

If you are interested in finding a living donor, talk to your Pre-Transplant Clinic team . Compared to deceased donor kidney donations, living donor kidney donations: 

Happen faster

Patients often receive a transplant much sooner.

Last longer

A kidney from a living donor, on average, can last up to 18 years. A kidney from a deceased donor, on average, can last up to 12 years.

Have fewer complications

Some people may avoid dialysis entirely with a living donor.

How to find a living donor

Eligibility

Thanks to modern anti-rejection medications, a living kidney donor does not need to be genetically related to you. A donor can be family, friends, colleagues, or anyone in your social circle.  

Starting the conversation

Once you are comfortable with talking to people about living donation, you can start reaching out to those around you. You can share your story and ask them to share it with people in their circle.  

The more people who know of your need, the greater your chance of finding a donor.  

Asking people to be a living donor can be scary and difficult. It is common to feel many emotions when planning to ask potential donors:  

You may feel:  

  • Unsure how to ask.  
  • Uneasy about asking.  
  • Worried about burdening someone. 
  • Confused about who can be a donor.  
  • Scared about the donor’s future health.  
  • Concerned about changes in the relationship.  
  • Disappointed that no one has offered to be a donor.

The Finding a Kidney Donor booklet in your welcome package offers more advice about how to reach out to potential donors.

Transplant Ambassador Program

The Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP) website has resources on living donation and finding living donors.

TAP is a volunteer program made up of people with experience in kidney disease, donation, dialysis, transplant or living donation. They are not medical staff, but they offer peer support.  

You can be connected to a TAP Ambassador through your health-care team, or you can contact TAP directly:  

Transplant Ambassador Program Logo

Incompatible living donors

If you and your donor are not compatible, you can join the Kidney Paired Donation Program, where pairs “swap” donors to find a match.