Donating out of the country?

[KitPaq]

So I've decided I want to become a kidney donor, and have been in touch with two potential recipients (yes, they both know I'm talking to more than one recipient) but they both live in the US. I am Canadian. Both of them say that this will not prevent me from donating, but I imagine it will make things a little more complicated. I would like to talk to a doctor about the process, and how to begin, but I don't know who to talk to. Will there be a transplant team here that will do my tests and co-ordinate with the US transplant teams? Or can my tests be done by any doctor and the results sent to the US? I'd like to get all the information I need before I begin and medical procedures because I haven't discussed my decision with my family yet and I want to be well-informed before I talk to them. Any information you can give me would a huge help.
Thanks
Kit

[Fr Pat]

     You might do well to decide on who will be the recipient, and then contact her/his hospital transplant coordinator for advice. Also keep in mind that now a kidney can be removed in one hospital and then safely shipped to another hospital for implantation.
     Fr. Pat

[audrey12]

Curious as to why you are considering donating in the U.S. instead of Canada.  Do you know your recipients?  If this is an altruistic donation and not friends or family members, I would suggest contacting your nearest transplant center and donating in Canada.  It would be less complicated and there is certainly as much a need for donors.

If these are personal acquaintances, then you should contact their transplant coordinator(s) and ask how they will handle testing, etc. since you're in another country.

Best wishes and please let us know how this progresses!

[KitPaq]

It does feel strange testing for two recipients, but when the second contacted me I informed her right away that I was already considering being tested for a patient. She asked if I would test for her as well and choose either the patient who is the closest match, or if there is no preference, the patient who first contacted me. I agreed, and now it would be impossible for me to choose just one to test for. I will most likely choose just one patient to continue testing for once the compatibility tests are finished, though.

As for why I'm donating to the US, even though they are in a different country, I live in southern Canada and they live in northern US, so it's not much farther than any other major Canadian cities. I know that distance is always going to be a concern for me because I move around so much. No matter where I donate, there are always going to be issues of needing to travel for the surgery and the testing. And I don't care about donating to another country - a person is a person. I made sure both patients understand that asking for a donation from a Canadian might add an extra layer of complication, and they are both fine with that. They seem like really wonderful people and I'm just glad I'm able to help.