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Living Donation in the News / A local man is starting the year off with his second organ donation.

« Last post by Clark on January 02, 2024, 03:08:45 PM »

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/man-donating-organ-to-a-stranger-for-a-second-time/

A local man is starting the year off with his second organ donation.
Jeremy Olson underwent surgery in 2022 at the UC Davis Medical Center to donate a kidney, and a little over a year later, he'll be undergoing surgery again for another organ donation, this time, part of his liver.
"I want everybody to have an awesome life. Why wouldn't I want to do this," Olson says.
He is trying to highlight the need for living donors.
"We just need more live donors," he says.
It all began in 2022 when someone his wife worked with at the local symphony needed a kidney. Unfortunately, the person passed away during the screening process, but that didn't end Jeremy's decision to help save a life. Instead, he went through with the donation to a total stranger.
"You don't need to wait for someone to ask for an organ. There's 100,000 people waiting, mostly for kidneys, in the United States," says Olson.
Now Jeremy is getting ready to donate a portion of his liver to another stranger.
"It's an honor to be a donor. It's an honor to really help someone. I would tell them they don't owe me a thing," he says.
Jeremy is quick to point out that while surgery and recovery might be a hassle, it's all worth it to save a life.
"It's an inconvenience for us, but life-changing for someone else. It's a no-brainer for me," he says."

Living Donation Forum / January 2024 Living Organ Donor Anniversaries from our Calendar! Add yours!

« Last post by Clark on January 02, 2024, 02:21:42 PM »

Happy 2024! While many are looking forward at this time, we take a moment to look back at the amazing acts of hope and love we have been part of in the past. Whether you’re celebrating an amazing anniversary filled with joy, or still grieving a loss, we’re here with you. Best wishes, all, for health and happiness in this year to come.

Forty-fourth anniversary:
Joan Ray donated a kidney to her brother on January 19th, 1980

Thirty-seventh anniversary:
Mike Rocheteau (since deceased) donated a kidney to his brother on January 8th, 1987

Twenty-ninth anniversary:
Wanda Christensen donated a kidney to her grandson, Damien Klemz, on January 5th, 1995
Darlene donated a kidney to her cousin, Yancy, on January 16th, 1995

Twenty-sixth anniversary:
Donna Lundberg donated a kidney to her mother on January 11th, 1998

Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Pat McDonough donated a kidney to her brother on January 13th, 1999

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Cynthia Goldner donated a kidney to her cousin, Sukie Miller, on January 5th, 2000
Candice Ellington donated part of her liver to her husband on January 10th, 2000
Charity Wells donated a kidney to her sister, Carrie, on January 11th, 2000
Naomi donated a kidney to a coworker on January 31st, 2000

Twenty-third anniversary:
Catherine Cullen donated a kidney to her mother (since deceased) on January 4th, 2001
Thomas Busch donated a kidney to his former girlfriend, Dawn Meschi, on January 10th, 2001
Carol Meyer and her husband donated lung lobes to their daughter (since deceased) on January 16th, 2001
Carolyn Miller donated a kidney to her husband on January 31st, 2001

Twenty-second anniversary:
Aileen Sperber donated a kidney to her husband on January 3rd, 2002
Michael Hurewitz (deceased in the peri-operative period) donated part of his liver to his brother on January 13th, 2002
Nathan Bishop donated part of his liver to his brother-in-law's brother on January 25th, 2002
Ray Madden donated a kidney to his wife on January 29th, 2002

Twenty-first anniversary:
Gina donated a kidney to her brother-in-law on January 7th, 2003
David Harper donated a kidney to a stranger on January 8th, 2003
Brenda donated a kidney to her father on January 10th, 2003
Aya Manalo Hufana donated a kidney to her sister on January 11th, 2003
Lisa L Henderson donated a kidney to an unrelated person on January 26th, 2003

Twentieth anniversary:
Jodi Phelan donated part of her liver to her daughter on January 5th, 2004
Regan M Gamble donated a kidney to her mother, Danielle, on January 14th, 2004
Jason York donated part of his liver to the daughter of an alumnus from his high school on January 17th, 2004
Luke donated a kidney to his best friend on January 21st, 2004

Ninteenth anniversary:
Dawn donated a kidney to an unrelated person (since deceased) on January 6th, 2005
Bob Bucsh donated a kidney to his sister on January 12th, 2005
Taj "T-Bone" Hudson donated a kidney to a friend on January 12th, 2005
Amanda Zoneraich donated a kidney to her father on January 25th, 2005
Barb donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on January 25th, 2005

Eighteenth anniversary:
Nancy Ferrauilo donated a kidney to her husband on January 5th, 2006
Carin O'Brien donated a kidney to her father on January 25th, 2006

Seventeenth anniversary:
Kebra donated a kidney to her husband on January 2nd, 2007
Jaime Burhite donated a kidney to her older brother, Jason, on January 4th, 2007
Cynthia Tindongan donated a kidney to a stranger on January 10th, 2007
Jeff Eddy donated a kidney to his father on January 16th, 2007
Patrice Smith donated a kidney to Jenna Franks, an unrelated person found on LDO, on January 16th, 2007.
Erica Gomez donated a kidney to her father on January 18th, 2007
Bassy Gottesman donated a kidney to her husband, Yehuda, on January 23rd, 2007
Frances Byrdin donated a kidney to her father on January 23rd, 2007
Kevin Kenney donated a kidney to a friend on January 24th, 2007
John Dennis donated a kidney to his father on January 25th, 2007
Adrienne P. donated a kidney to a stranger on January 29th, 2007

Sixteenth anniversary:
Sara Kaiser donated part of her liver to an 18 month old stranger on January 4th, 2008
Evan Brooks donated a kidney to his brother, Jim, on January 8th, 2008
Nancy McAbee donated a kidney to her brother, Dan Williams, on January 8th, 2008
Audrey donated a kidney to her husband's cousin on January 10th, 2008
Elizabeth Samstag donated a part of her liver to her friend, Dan Zenger, on January 17th, 2008
Kelly Harris donated a kidney to Greg on January 18th, 2008
April Zona Garcia donated a kidney to her mother, Gloria Tompkins, on January 31st, 2008

Fifteenth anniversary:
Janet Hinson donated a kidney to her brother on January 8th, 2009
Miriam donated a kidney to her long time friend, Bob, on January 9th, 2009
Teri Garber George donated a kidney to her boss of 20 years on January 9th, 2009
Laura Rivas donated a kidney to her best friend, Victor Rodriguez, on January 15th, 2009. She's sad he didn't survive to celebrate their first kidneyversary, but glad she tried to help.
Janet Hurley donated a kidney to her adult child on January 22nd, 2009
Celia donated a kidney to her uncle on January 26th, 2009
Teresa Wharton donated her left kidney to her Dad on January 28th, 2009
Kimberly Johnson donated a kidney, the first woman to do so vaginally, to her niece, Jennifer Gilbert, on January 29th, 2009
Lisa Poulsen donated a kidney to her step-dad on January 30th, 2009

Fourteenth anniversary:
Becky Sullivan made a non-directed kidney donation on January 6th, 2010
Craig Stieben donated a kidney to his girlfriend on January 7th, 2010
Bonnie Parr donated a kidney to her brother, Wayne Sheets, on January 8th, 2010
Laura Linton donated a kidney to her sister, Tina Sammon, on January 15th, 2010
John Galvin donated a kidney to his best friend on January 19th, 2010
Sandy Picanzo donated a kidney to her sister, Joan, on January 26th, 2010
Tina DelGuidice donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Edward J. Guenkel, on January 28th, 2010

Thirteenth anniversary:
Christine Archer donated a kidney to her great uncle, Arnold Strong, on January 11th, 2011
Morgan Davis became a kidney donor on January 11th, 2011
Paul Carlson donated a kidney to his sister, Barbara West, on January 24th, 2011

Twelfth anniversary:
Karen L Michul donated a kidney to her friend, Matthew Jones, on January 9th, 2012
Sharon Irey donated a kidney to her son, William, on January 18th, 2012
Kelly Gray Kablick donated part of her liver to her Mom on January 24th, 2012

Eleventh anniversary:
Marisa de la Garza donated a kidney to her mother, Silvia de la Garza Bassett, on January 9th, 2013
Stephanie DuBose Reeves donated a kidney to her best friend on January 9th, 2013
James Franks donated a kidney to Melinda Cagle Sanders, a school friend, on January 17th, 2013
Renae Myers Waters donated a kidney to her husband on January 22nd, 2013
Rosie Mariani donated akidney to her best friend, Tammy, on January 31st, 2013

Tenth anniversary:
Debbi Stapleton donated a kidney to Olga Gauthier on January 6th, 2014
Zoe McKeith donated a kidney to her mother-in-law, Kim Causer, on January 7th, 2014
Denise Hunter donated a kidney to her friend's nephew, Conley Tucker, on January 10th, 2014
Jennifer Sutton donated a kidney to her friend, Angela Braga, on January 10th, 2014
Howard Lobel donated a kidney to his cousin, Stevi Paul, on January 14th, 2014

Ninth anniversary:
Joshua Wise donated a kidney to his friend, Stephen Johns, on January 8th, 2015
Joann Nolan donated a kidney to her father, Virgil, on January, 9th, 2015
Deanah Weigelt-Genuario donated a kidney to her aunt, Peggyann Street, on January 20th, 2015
Debbie Vitatoe donated a kidney to her son, Toby, on January 21st, 2015

Sixth anniversary:
Nadia Brown donated a kidney to her father, Timothy Brown, on January 22nd 2018

Fourth anniversary:
Ivana Berrera donated part of her liver to her mother, Edna, on January 14th, 2020

Living Donation Forum / December 2023 Living Organ Donor Anniversaries from our LDO! Calendar

« Last post by Clark on December 05, 2023, 02:44:41 PM »

December is a complex emotional time for many, and for many of us. Right off, we recognize the tremendous courage and brotherly love demonstrated by Ron Herrick 69 years ago. I am tremendously privileged to have met Ron nearly 20 years ago, and to have personally thanked him for going first, not just for myself, but on behalf of all of us who've followed his lead. Witnessed by the then president of the OPTN/UNOS, it led to my invitation to service on UNOS board committees and subsequent election to the board of directors to be one of the first living donor representatives to the board.

Bookending this list, the most recent entry is actually the first anniversary of the passing of Elizabeth's brother. COVID-19 was and still is dismissed by many, incomprehensibly to those of us who lost loved ones and dear friends, and those of us still masking in public, either for reasonable concern in our post donation state, or on behalf of our immunocompromised loved ones. We may be masking in public for years to come.

As always, these anniversaries mark hopeful acts of love and courage. As always, the majority are memories of joyful, complete success for all. As always, there are memories of heartbreak. Whatever these memories evoke for you, we remember with you and are here to share joy and sadness, as you may wish to share. Best wishes all. Happy holidays!-John, a.k.a. "Clark" on LDO!

Sixty-ninth anniversary:
Ronald Herrick donated a kidney to his brother on December 23rd, 1954, the first successful solid organ transplant. Ron died at age 79 on December 27th, 2010. Ron was the first living organ donor, to his twin brother, Richard. Joseph Murray, the plastic surgeon who convinced them and their surgical teams that he had figured a way around the immune response, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Fortieth anniversary:
Jann K. Armantrout donated a kidney to sibling Mark J. Armantrout on December 12th, 1983

Thirty-eighth anniversary:
Robert A. Hancox donated a kidney to his sister on December 11th, 1985

Thirty-second anniversary:
Juanita DeVeaux donated a kidney to her daughter on December 4th, 1991

Twenty-ninth anniversary:
Natalie Cardoza donated a kidney to her sister on December 21st, 1994

Twenty-eighth anniversary:
Emmitt Lee Lewis donated a kidney to his little brother, Glen, on December 8th, 1995. Emmitt's daughter, Deborah Lewis-Grimes, says they were the first African-American living donor-recipient siblings in the US.
Sheila Leander donated a kidney to her husband, Brian, on December 27th, 1995

Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Gregory F. Welsh donated bone marrow to Maria Hall on December 6th, 1996

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Heather Roberts donated a kidney to her father in December, 1999. He died in 2012, with kidney function still good.
Cheryl McCullough donated part of her liver to her husband on December 14th, 1999

Twenty-second anniversary:
Phillip Ondler donated a kidney to his sister on December 14th, 2001
Bob Jauch donated part on his liver to his daughter on December 20th, 2001
Janice O'Connell donated a kidney to friend on December 26th, 2001

Twenty-first anniversary:
Bill Shummel donated a kidney anonymously on December 17th, 2002

Twentieth anniversary:
Micheline donated a kidney to a friend on December 5th, 2003
Kevin donated part of his liver to his father on December 8th, 2003
Barbara Sher Cohen donated a kidney to her brother on December 9th, 2003
Larry Miller donated a kidney to his daughter on December 16th, 2003Melanie Wallace donated a kidney to a stranger on December 16th, 2003
Kathryn Jones donated part of her liver to a friend on December 18th, 2003. Her friend died two months later.
Bev donated a kidney to a stranger on December 23, 2003
Elizabeth A. Miller donated a kidney to a friend on December 30th, 2003
Lisa Ornelas donated a kidney to her sister on December 30th, 2003

[/size]Nineteenth anniversary:
Sarah Wright donated a kidney to her brother on December 1st, 2004
Becky Livingston donated a kidney to her cousin on December 12th, 2004

[/size]Eighteenth anniversary:
Peggy Espinoza donated a kidney to her sister, Gloria, on December 6th, 2005
Mary Kirk donated a kidney to her brother-in-law on December 6th, 2005
Charlotte Buckley donated a kidney to a friend's mother on December 7th, 2005
Jay Paustian donated a kidney to a friend on December 13th, 2005
Amanda Gedraitis donated a kidney anonymously on December 15th, 2005
Coleen Damon donated a kidney to her mother on December 27th, 2005
[/size]Doug Boston donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on December 28th, 2005

Seventeenth anniversary:
Meghan McGrail donated a kidney to her uncle, Danny Cavicchi, on December 5th, 2006
Rick Hodgkins donated a kidney to his mother on December 7th, 2006
Brian Earnshaw donated a kidney to his uncle on December 12th, 2006
Wayne Ellenberger donated a kidney to a stranger on December 12th, 2006
Mary Lou Hery donated a kidney to her daughter on December 22, 2006
Billie Ward donated part of her liver to an unrelated recipient on December 22nd, 2006
Lisa donated a kidney to her daughter on December 27th, 2006

Sixteenth anniversary:
Louise in Canada donated a kidney to an anonymous unrelated recipient on December 3rd, 2007
Sylvia Toler donated a kidney to her husband, Steve, on December 4th, 2007
Connie Watts donated to her cousin on December 7th, 2007
Christine Robinson made a non-directed donation on December 11th, 2007
Eric Savage donated a kidney to his father on December 18th, 2007
[/size]Brett Menzy donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on December 18th, 2007

Fifteenth anniversary:
Craig Tohill donated a kidney to his Aunt Sue on December 7th, 2008
Tom Moore donated a kidney to his brother on December 9th, 2008
Joshua donated a kidney to a stranger on December 10th, 2008
Philip R. Knisely donated a kidney to his co-worker, Jose Luis Vara, Jr., on December 30th, 2008

Fourteenth anniversary:
Rob Upham donated a kidney to Sandra Erice on December 7th, 2009
Pamela Hull donated a kidney in the 2009 Georgetown exchange (one of 13 donors) so her cousin could receive a kidney on December 8th, 2009
Matt Knowles donated a kidney to his wife on December 9th, 2009
Kimberly Jensen donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Bill Flitton, on December 9th, 2009
Bill Martinez donated a kidney to his cousin, Nicholas, on December 9th, 2009
Gina Mingrone became a non-directed donor in the New England Paired Kidney Exchange (NEPKE) on December 15th, 2009, initiating a chain of donors and recipients from Maine to New Jersey and back!
Kara Lucca donated a kidney as 1 of 13 donors in a nationwide chain on December 17th, 2009, while her husband was 1 of 13 recipients
[/size]Lori Wagner donated a kidney to her father on December 29th, 2009

Thirteenth anniversary:
Ellie started a non-directed kidney donor chain on December 16th, 2010

Twelfth anniversary:
Jody Woodward made a non-directed kidney donation on December 8th, 2011
Curtis donated a kidney in a chain on December 12th, 2011
Kathy Melish donated part of her liver to her husband's cousin's son, Michael, on December 12th, 2011
Stephanie Marie donated a kidney to Selina, an unrelated person, on December 13th, 2011
Jane donated a kidney to her brother Tom on December 14th, 2011
Lisa Goldberg donated a kidney to her father, Larry Berg, on December 15th, 2011
TG Gordon donated a kidney to her brother on December 16th, 2011

Eleventh anniversary:
Harjit Dhahan Hallan donated a kidney on December 10th, 2012
Donna Aronne donated a kidney to her husband on December 13th, 2012Renee Romero donated a kidney to her father, Wendell Douberly, on December 21st, 2012

Tenth anniversary:
Melissa Vizenor made an unrelated kidney donation to Rachel on December 2nd, 2013
Sarah Beecher donated a kidney to her son on December 5th, 2013
Lisa Tabor McCrea donated a kidney to Ellen Garner, found on matchingdonors.com, on December 13th, 2013
Kevin Slifka donated a kidney to his nephew on December 17th, 2013
Cynthia Hawkins Lindell was a non directed kidney donor on December 19th, 2013
Alex Wollangk donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Ron Schwalbach, on December 19th, 2013
Karen Whiteford donated a kidney to her brother, Thomas Mercier, on December 20th, 2013
David Taylor donated a kidney to his son, Dale, on December 23rd, 2013

Ninth anniversary:
Lynn Bolduc was a non directed kidney donor on December 8th, 2014

Seventh anniversary:
Rebecca O'Marrah donated part of her liver to her friend, Kelly Drey, on December 7th, 2016

Fifth anniversary:
Andrea Armida Yochim donated a kidney to Yuri Miguel Carrarierro on December 19th, 2018

First anniversary:
Elizabeth donated a kidney to her brother on January 13th, 2010. Her brother passed away after contracting COVID-19 on December 13th, 2022.

Living Donation in the News / Organ & Body Donations: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

« Last post by Clark on December 04, 2023, 05:08:09 PM »

Most of Oliver's chosen subjects require extensive research. Unfortunately, most of this content has been in multiple media for years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn7egDQ9lPg

Living Donation in the News / Saturday, 11/25, is Mayo Clinic’s 60th anniversary of its first organ transplant

« Last post by Clark on November 25, 2023, 09:22:54 AM »

https://www.kttc.com/2023/11/24/saturday-is-mayo-clinics-60th-anniversary-its-first-organ-transplant/

Saturday is Mayo Clinic’s 60th anniversary of its first organ transplant
By Eric Min
Published: Nov. 24, 2023 at 6:44 PM EST|Updated: 14 hours ago

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – November 25, 1963, marks Mayo Clinic’s first kidney transplant from a living donor led by Dr. George Hallenbeck.
This successful surgery is the hospital’s first organ transplant which happened 60-years ago here in 2023.
“It’s a tremendous privilege,” Mayo’s Kidney Transplant Program Surgical Director Dr. Patrick Dean said. “...to have been able to provide transplant services to patients in the Rochester are and all around the world for the last 60-years.”
According to Mayo Clinic, the hospital has performed 31,568 transplant surgeries as of October 31; of those surgeries, the top three include 16,639 kidney transplants, 10,223 liver transplants and 2,081 heart transplants.

With its decades of experience, Dr. Patrick Dean said Mayo Clinic is working to improve its transplant services.
He said, “Gaining a deeper understanding of immunology of the reasons people actually lose these kidneys will hopefully help us to allow people to live better lives with the same kidney rather than needing a second or even a third kidney transplant during their life.”
Dr. Dean said donors are significant contributors to the success of transplant surgeries.
“I think it is important to just emphasize none of these transplants would have been possible without the donors who made the transplant possible. None of these transplants would happen without the donors. And so, the donors play a very important part in what we do in any area of transplantation.”
Mayo Clinic Kidney Transplant Program Surgical Director Dr. Patrick Dean
Dr. Dean encouraged everyone to consider organ donation. He said the top challenge for transplant services remains the number of willing donors.

Living Donation in the News / India: 80% of recipients are male, majority of living donors are female

« Last post by Clark on November 25, 2023, 09:17:12 AM »

https://www.dtnext.in/edit/the-donor-conundrum-749630

Editorial: The donor conundrum For every woman who received an organ, four men got transplants in the country

CHENNAI: The highly skewed distribution of organ donation in India was highlighted earlier this week, when data from 1995 to 2021 was made public….

Living Donation Forum / Re: 1.45 creatinine?

« Last post by Michael on November 04, 2023, 07:05:23 AM »

Creatine can fluctuate quite a bit day to day, depending on factors like what you eat and how much you exercise. That said, it sounds like you know what to do -- change your diet, stay hydrated, and increase your exercise. One other consideration is to check your creatinine level (and other biometrics) in six months to see if your current experience was just a "blip" or a sign that your kidney health has actually changed.

Here is information on maintaining kidney health after donation, including a spreadsheet to keep track of your kidney health measures over time: https://livingdonorsonline.org/kidney/afterwards/#:~:text=of%20your%20life.-,Lifestyle%20Choices,-%3A%20Staying%20Healthy%20After

I see you also posted on the LDO Facebook group page, so you've gotten additional suggestions and encouragement there. Stay strong! You can do this!

Living Donation Forum / 1.45 creatinine?

« Last post by snatiep on November 02, 2023, 07:26:48 PM »

Hello Everyone,
I haven't posted here in a few years, I donated 13 years ago and my Sister, the recipient, is still doing wonderful.
I had my yearly physical last week and got some concerning news. My creatinine has creeped up to 1.45 and my fasting glucose is 99mg/dl, and they told me my A1c shows I have prediabetes.
My Dr. recommended some lifestyle changes, loose some weight, drink more water, eat more healthy by limiting unhealthy carbohydrates and sweets, and exercising 30 minutes/5 times a week.
I have gained about 20 pounds since I donated and I do have a terrible sweet tooth and I don't drink enough water, and I don't regularly exercise.
She also gave me a Nephrology referral to talk to a different Dr.
I'm absolutely terrified. A nurse did call me this morning and told me I am on the tipping point of the numbers and a lifestyle change would likely make a big difference in reversing the prediabetes.
I guess I don't have an actual question, I'm just scared and would like some advice.
Thank you so much.

Living Donation in the News / Proposal to allow opt-in kidney sales for about $40k in the UK

« Last post by Clark on October 30, 2023, 10:42:22 AM »

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11019-023-10171-x

Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy ArticleA fair exchange: why living kidney donors in England should be financially compensated Published: 24 August 2023
Daniel Rodger & Bonnie Venter

Abstract
Every year, hundreds of patients in England die whilst waiting for a kidney transplant, and this is evidence that the current system of altruistic-based donation is not sufficient to address the shortage of kidneys available for transplant. To address this problem, we propose a monopsony system whereby kidney donors can opt-in to receive financial compensation, whilst still preserving the right of individuals to donate without receiving any compensation. A monopsony system describes a market structure where there is only one ‘buyer’—in this case the National Health Service. By doing so, several hundred lives could be saved each year in England, wait times for a kidney transplant could be significantly reduced, and it would lessen the burden on dialysis services. Furthermore, compensation would help alleviate the common disincentives to living kidney donation, such as its potential associated health and psychological costs, and it would also help to increase awareness of living kidney donation. The proposed system would also result in significant cost savings that could then be redirected towards preventing kidney disease and reducing health disparities. While concerns about exploitation, coercion, and the ‘crowding out’ of altruistic donors exist, we believe that careful implementation can mitigate these issues. Therefore, we recommend piloting financial compensation for living kidney donors at a transplant centre in England.

Living Donation Forum / Re: Transplantation Immunology Survey

« Last post by Clark on October 04, 2023, 11:36:07 AM »

No longer accepting responses?