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Living Donation in the News / Survey: Most adults would consider living kidney donation if certain factors wer

« Last post by Clark on January 18, 2024, 11:30:36 AM »

https://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20240116/survey-most-adults-would-consider-living-kidney-donation-if-certain-factors-were-met

Survey: Most adults would consider living kidney donation if certain factors were met

Key takeaways:Barriers to living donation included concerns about paying for medical expenses and potential health impacts.[/color]Facilitators to donation included being well-informed about the safety of the surgery.[/size]Results from a recently published U.S. survey show that most adults would consider becoming a living kidney donor, and donation rates could increase with culturally competent education.
“Living kidney donation is promoted as the best treatment option available for people living with kidney failure. Public attitudes ... can be impacted by legislation, scientific innovation, media campaigns and individual experiences,” Katya Kaplow, MPH, of the department of surgery at New York University Langone, wrote with colleagues. “Understanding national trends ... will enable us to identify and address existing disincentives.”

Researchers surveyed a cohort of 802 U.S. adults (aged 25 to 65 years) in June 2021. Investigators developed summed, scaled indices to assess potential links between living kidney donation awareness (nine survey items) and inclination to donate (eight survey items), as well as self-reported demographic characteristics and other variables of interest. The survey captured various aspects related to living kidney donation, including knowledge about the process, as well as barriers and facilitators to donation.
According to the findings, most(86.6%) respondents said they "might" or "would definitely consider" donating a kidney while still living.
While many showed willingness, respondents identified several barriers affecting their decision to become living kidney donors, including concerns about the risk of the operation, the cost of medical expenses and potential health impacts.
Facilitators to living kidney donation included being well-informed about the safety of the donation operation, feeling assured that donors would not bear medical expenses and being familiar with success stories of living kidney donation. Awareness regarding participation in kidney paired donation was a significant factor that positively correlated with higher willingness to donate, according to the researchers.
The findings suggest “there are potential living kidney donors who have not yet presented to transplant centers and that further growth of living kidney donation is possible,” the authors wrote. “Culturally competent educational campaigns, outreach initiatives around the opportunity for kidney paired donation and national-level policies that reduce financial disincentives to living kidney donation are important next steps.”
Published by:

Sources/Disclosures

Source: Kaplow K, et al. Kidney Med. 2023;doi.org/10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100788.

Living Donation in the News / Illegal Organ Trade Is More Sophisticated Than One Might Think - Who's Behind It

« Last post by Clark on January 18, 2024, 11:27:40 AM »

https://menafn.com/1107729991/Illegal-Organ-Trade-Is-More-Sophisticated-Than-One-Might-Think-Whos-Behind-It-And-How-It-Could-Be-Controlled

Illegal Organ Trade Is More Sophisticated Than One Might Think - Who's Behind It And How It Could Be Controlled
Author: Frederike Ambagtsheer
(MENAFN- The Conversation) Every now and then the trade in human organs makes national, even international, news.

In March 2023, a Nigerian politician, his wife and a medical middleman were found guilty of an organ-trafficking plot after they brought a man to the UK from Lagos to sell his kidney. Several months later in Kenya, following the arrest of a televangelist on charges of a mass killing of his followers, autopsies on the corpses revealed missing organs , raising suspicions of forced organ harvesting. And, in 2020, researcher Sean Columb exposed how numerous African migrants sold their kidneys in Cairo, Egypt, in hopes of using the earnings to pay smugglers to take them across the Mediterranean into Europe.
These reports and cases are part of a global proliferation of the organ trade that started in the late 1980s. It coincided with advancements in transplantation. Until the 1980s, transplantation was regarded as a risky and experimental procedure. Since the introduction of immunosuppressive drugs in the 1980s (which help to prevent the body from rejecting organs), it has become standardised practice. Organ transplants are now conducted in hospitals in more than 90 countries.
Transplantation has however become a victim of its own success, with demand for organs far outpacing supply. Despite strategies to enlarge the donor organ pool, the worldwide organ shortage grows every year.
I am an organ trade and trafficking researcher . I've investigated many aspects of the activity including transplant tourism, the buying of organs, experiences of transplant professionals and police and prosecutors working on criminal cases and how trafficking networks operate.
I've found that claims are made about the organ trade in the absence of factual data. These have strengthened popular notions of the issue as an underground crime , organised by mafia-like criminals and“rogue” doctors who perform transplants clandestinely.
The reality is starkly different. The nature of the organ trade is far removed from these mythical depictions. In all criminal cases reported to date, illegal transplants took place in medical hospitals and clinics with the involvement of medical staff. Organ trafficking networks are highly organised with close collaborations between the legal“upperworld” (medical doctors, notaries, lawyers) and the criminal“underworld” (recruiters, brokers).
While it's likely that there are also unreported, hidden cases that do not take place inside medical institutions, the available knowledge indicates that the medical sector is helping to organise and facilitate the trade in human organs.
The organ trade is a complex crime and is fuelled by the high demand for organ transplants and rising global inequalities. The root causes of the trade need to be addressed, and stronger responses (not necessarily laws) are needed to tackle the more organised and exploitative forms of the trade.
What is the trade in human organs?
Organ trade constitutes the sale and purchase of organs for financial or material gain. The World Health Organization (WHO) first prohibited payments for organs in 1987. Many countries subsequently codified the prohibition into their national laws.
Although reliable figures are lacking, the WHO estimated in 2008 that 5% of all transplants performed worldwide were illegal. Living donor kidneys is the most commonly reported form of organ trade.
The WHO has further estimated that the total number of transplants performed worldwide is less than 10% of the global need. Of all organs, kidneys are highest in demand. About 10% of the world's population suffers from chronic kidney disease. Between two and seven million of these patients are estimated to die every year because they lack access to proper treatment.
Under these circumstances, desperate patients seek illegal ways to obtain organs outside their home countries. The increased value of organs makes them more profitable. This fuels the desire of some people to trade and sell.
Global developments and catastrophes such as the widening gap between the rich and poor, conflicts, famine, climate change and forced migration further increase the risk of organ sale and exploitation among the world's vulnerable populations.
Addressing a complex crime
How then can responses to the organ trade be improved? A first step would be to reach agreement on what types of organ trade we find condemnable. This requires an understanding of the trade's complexity.
Some studies demonstrate that the organ trade can constitute serious organised crime. It can involve physical force, even torture, and the execution of prisoners. But these reports don't describe the organ trade as a whole.
The organ trade involves a variety of practices which range from excessive exploitation (trafficking) to voluntary, mutually agreed benefits (trade).
These varieties warrant different, data-driven responses.
For example, organ sellers are reluctant to report abuses because organ sales are criminalised and sellers will be held liable. Although many can be considered human trafficking victims and be offered protection, this rarely occurs. Law- and policymakers should therefore consider decriminalising organ sales (removing penalties in the law) and offer organ sellers protection, regardless of whether they agree to provide evidence that helps to dismantle criminal networks.
Countries should also allow medical professionals to safely and anonymously report dubious transplant activity. This information can support the police and judiciary to investigate, disrupt and prosecute those who facilitate illegal organ transplants. Portugal and the UK already have successful organ trafficking reporting mechanisms in place.
Finally, a contested example of a possible solution to reduce organ scarcity and avoid black market abuses is to allow payments or other types of rewards for deceased and living organ donation to increase organ donation rates. To test the efficacy and morality of these schemes, strictly controlled experiments would be needed.
Trials on incentivised organ donation schemes have been proposed since the 1990s by transplant professionals, economists, lawyers, ethicists and philosophers who point out that there may be good reasons to allow payments under controlled circumstances.
While such experiments are currently forbidden by law, national surveys have found various degrees of public support for different types of incentives. In the US, for example, a recent study found that 18% of respondents would switch to favouring payments for sufficiently large increases in transplants, provided that recipients didn't have to pay out of pocket and that allocation of organs would occur based on objective medical criteria. In short, rather than exclusively focusing on stricter laws, a broader range of responses is needed that both address the root causes of the problem and that help to disrupt organ trading networks.

Living Donation in the News / Alberta, Canada, pauses participation in national kidney donor matching program

« Last post by Clark on January 18, 2024, 11:23:33 AM »

https://www.stalbertgazette.com/beyond-local/alberta-pauses-participation-in-national-kidney-donor-matching-program-because-of-surgery-capacity-shortage-8117799

Alberta pauses participation in national kidney donor matching program because of surgery capacity shortage
Patients temporarily pulled from program run by Canadian Blood Services

Carrie Tait

Alberta has partially paused its participation in a national program that matches people in need of a kidney transplant with prospective living donors because a shortage of anesthesiologists is causing a strain in the province’s surgical capacity.
Canadian Blood Services operates the country’s kidney paired donation (KPD) program, which includes a database of transplant candidates and potential donors. CBS uses an algorithm to find potential matches in the registry three times a year. Alberta’s provincial health authority, however, withdrew from the winter matching run, according to the charitable organization.
“Alberta Health Services informed Canadian Blood Services that it will not be participating in the KPD matching cycle in February,” CBS spokesman Paolo Oliveros said in a statement on Monday in response to questions from The Globe and Mail. “The KPD match cycle in February will still proceed as planned with other participating provinces.”
Mr. Oliveros did not answer questions about how many transplant candidates and potential donors were removed from the cycle.
Kerry Williamson, a spokesperson for Alberta Health Services, said potential kidney donors and recipients in the province’s northern transplant program were temporarily removed from the national program because operating room capacity is being squeezed by a shortage of anesthesiologists at the University of Alberta Hospital and the backlog of local and national pairs waiting on Edmonton’s KPD list.
“AHS is experiencing recruitment challenges across the province, and we are actively working to recruit health care professionals,” Mr. Williamson said in a statement. “This is not unique to Alberta and is being experienced nationally and internationally.”
Mr. Williamson said the decision will not affect KPD participants who have already found transplant matches through the program, although he confirmed there is a backlog of donors and recipients currently waiting for surgery.

“Surgeries will proceed for anyone already matched, and living donors will continue to be accepted into the living donor programs, including KPD,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
Kelly Konieczny has been searching for a kidney donor for about four years and has been enrolled in the KPD for about three. She said her transplant co-ordinator called her Jan. 11 with the news – and an explanation.
“We were not going to be put into the February run because of the anesthesiologist shortage,” said Ms. Konieczny, who lives in Mannville, about 170 kilometres east of Edmonton.
Kathy Tachynski, another person hoping to match with a living donor, said she received a call from AHS on Monday, informing her that she would not be in the February matching cycle.
“The reason being is there is a shortage of anesthesiologists,” Ms. Tachynski said. The Edmontonian said she was told transplants from deceased donors are still proceeding.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith rose to power in part by questioning AHS’s management of the health care system, particularly with respect to the coronavirus pandemic. She believes the health authority is bloated with middle managers who are straining resources and stymieing front-line workers. The United Conservative Party is redesigning Alberta’s health care system and has pledged to cut wait times for operations in part by expanding the use of privately owned surgical centres, where patients receive care at the expense of the provincial government.
The revelation that Alberta pulled back from the KPD program indicates the health care system may be under more stress than previously understood.
Transplant candidates in the KPD program are enrolled alongside people who want to give them a kidney but with whom they are incompatible. The willing donors agree to give up one of their two kidneys to another transplant candidate in the pool, in exchange for their loved one receiving a kidney from someone else. An algorithm then searches for the most suitable matches for the swaps.
Alberta’s decision to opt out, “was kind of startling,” said Ms. Konieczny, who pumps her blood through a dialysis machine at home four times a week. “I was feeling like we were maybe expendable.”
Ms. Konieczny and Ms. Tachynski are among the transplant candidates with the slimmest chances of finding suitable donors because they both have antibodies that would clash with roughly 100 per cent of the population.
“It is not that I will never get a transplant. But my chances of getting one are basically a needle in a haystack,” Ms. Tachynski said.

Sean Delaney, a two-time kidney transplant recipient with two decades of experience working in the organ-donation system, said Alberta’s KPD pause is especially worrisome for highly sensitized patients such as the two women.
Patients develop antibodies from past blood transfusions, pregnancies or organ transplants. They can then spend decades waiting to find a transplant match, he said. Given their slim chances, Mr. Delaney, who has a master’s degree in public health, questions why this cohort was removed from the KPD list.
“Even with low probability, why take them off? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Some decision-makers, he said, consider living transplant surgeries “elective,” a categorization he rejects.
Ms. Tachynski was not told whether other types of surgeries were also frozen in light of the anesthesiologist shortage and the Alberta pause in the KPD program.
“Organ donation, whether it is deceased or living, is life-saving,” she said. If other surgeries are not life-saving, “why are they allowed to go ahead and organ donation is not?”

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!