Mission and Goals

The mission of Living Donors Online is to improve the living donation experience.

We seek to be the preeminent online community for living donors, potential donors, their families, and medical professionals. “Living donors” are living individuals who have given a kidney, liver, lung, bone marrow, or other organ or tissue for transplantation to another person—often a relative—in need.

The goals of this site are three-fold:

  • To educate — by collecting and posting information related to living donation.
  • To support — by creating a sense of community, sharing experiences, and helping address the needs of individuals going through or having completed donation.
  • To advocate — by sharing information on the interests, concerns, and needs of living donors with the medical community and other influential parties.

The Origins of Living Donors Online

My name is Michael Murphy, and I’m a living kidney donor. This site grew out of the confluence of several events:

  • My donation of a kidney to my sister in 1991, and the lack of information and support (other than moral support from my family) at that time.
  • An experience with a coworker in 2000 who was being considered for organ donation when, once again, I was frustrated by the lack of information even in this age of information.
  • Involvement in organ and tissue donation awareness through my past participation in Lifelink of Georgia and Georgia Transplant Foundation.
  • A five-week sabbatical in 2000 that gave me the time to crystallize my thinking about how to fill the information gap and the time to devote to implementing this web site.

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank the following people for their support with the inspiration and realization of Living Donors Online:

  • Meg Willems, my sister and (for a while) borrower of my kidney, for her bravery and perseverance in facing juvenile-onset diabetes. And to her husband, David, who is the strongest person I know.
  • Niki Murphy, for her love, support, and enthusiasm.
  • John Hodges and Karol Franks, who are the best message board moderators anyone could ask for.
  • All of you living donors and potential donors for being a part of my universe, and permitting me to make your part a little better.

Thank you!

Michael