https://www.pembinavalleyonline.com/articles/19-year-old-prepares-to-donate-part-of-his-liver-to-his-grandfather

19-year-old prepares to donate part of his liver to his grandfather

Jayme Giesbrecht, PembinaValleyOnline.com

For years, Saturday mornings meant a bike ride to his grandpa's house, a cup of coffee and hours of conversation.
Now, at 19, Dawson Penner is preparing to give his grandfather something far greater: part of his liver, and a chance at a healthier future.
Dawson is set to become a living liver donor for his 69-year-old grandfather, Ray Wieler, who has been dealing with serious health problems after being diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis of the liver in 2023.
For Dawson, the decision to step forward wasn't about being a hero.
It was about his grandfather.
"Everything outweighs the risks." Dawson said. 
A relationship built over coffee and conversation
Dawson and Ray have shared a close relationship for years.
Dawson says he regularly visits his grandpa for coffee and conversation. When he was about 12, he would bike to Ray's house on Saturdays to spend time with him.
Kerri Penner, Dawson's mother and Ray & Dorothy Wieler's daughter, says those visits have continued as Dawson has grown older.
"When I say he goes there for coffee, he goes there for coffee, like, hours on end multiple times a week," she said.
"They sit together and talk, and I think it's just a really cool relationship that not a lot of grandparents have with their grandkids."
That relationship is now at the heart of a major medical journey for the family.
A race against time
Ray was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis in 2023. Kerri says her Dad's liver problems have affected many aspects of his health.
"If your liver is not functioning, your body is not absorbing nutrients," she said. "Your liver is just connected to everything."
The family eventually began looking at a living-donor transplant as an option.
Kerri says her dad's age was also a factor in the urgency surrounding the decision.
"In Canada, once you're 70, you're not really considered a great candidate for a liver transplant," she said.
With Ray at 69, the family was facing a limited window.
Dawson was ultimately determined to be a suitable donor.
The 19-year-old says he initially didn't know much about what the surgery would involve, including the fact that the liver can regenerate.
After going through extensive testing, he says the reality of the surgery has become less intimidating.
He expects recovery to be difficult but says he's hopeful he can be walking within a week.
Two major surgeries, one long day
The surgeries are scheduled for Oct. 26th in Toronto.
Dawson's operation is expected to begin at 6 a.m. and last six to eight hours. The surgical team will first open him up and assess whether they can proceed.
If everything looks right, they will continue with the procedure before taking Ray into a separate operating room for his transplant.
Kerri says the family could be facing a 10- to 16-hour hospital day.
The risks are greater for Ray, including the possibility that his body could reject the donated liver. Kerri says he will also require anti-rejection medication essentially for the rest of his life.
Despite those risks, Dawson says his concern is primarily for his grandfather.
"Hopefully for him it'll be better than I expect," he said. "But yeah."
His mother admits the situation is frightening.
"I mean, my dad and my son in one day are both in a major surgery," Kerri said. "So it is definitely nerve-wracking."
...

https://www.kawartha411.ca/2026/09/14/canadian-blood-services-marks-living-donation-week/

Canadian Blood Services Marks Living Donation Week

Prosper, the multi-talented musician who's known for hyping up Ottawa Senator fans needed his own hype man when he found out he was facing kidney failure.
"January 31st, we'll never forget that date, that's when I went for my regular blood test, knowing that I wasn't feeling well," said DJ Prosper. He describes the waves of emotions that hit him with his diagnosis. "Anxiety, scared, fear, depression, all kinds of stuff, your life has changed completely."


But through all that fear and anxiety, he found a living kidney donor who generously gave him the gift of life.
"What do you say to someone who's about to save your life?" said a grateful DJ Prosper. "And man, their posture and responses were so comforting, all they were saying was that, 'Don't worry, you're going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine.'"
More than 4,000 Canadians are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and sadly, about 250 will die each year while waiting.
September 13-19, 2026, is Living Donation Week. It's a time to celebrate and honour living kidney and liver donors, recipients and medical teams that make it all possible. It's also a time to build and spread awareness about the life-changing impact living donors can have.
During Living Donation Week, Canadian Blood Services is raising awareness of living organ donation with the goal of improving access and providing hope and support for thousands of Canadians waiting for a transplant. And most importantly, we want to inspire more people to become living donors.
"Living donation is one of the most extraordinary gifts a person can give. Living donation offers transplant recipients shorter wait times, better health outcomes and the chance to return to activities they enjoy. We hope Living Donation Week inspires Canadians to learn more about how living donation impacts recipients, living donors and those close to them," said Dr. Tanya Petraszko, Vice-President, Medical Affairs, Canadian Blood Services.
 The success of living organ donation is only possible through the generosity of people who step forward as living organ donors. Any healthy adult can become a living donor, and ensuring a donor's safety and long-term wellness is the top priority throughout the process. Whether it's donating a kidney or a portion of your liver which is then transplanted into a recipient in need, living organ donors carry on living normal and healthy lives.
Canadian Blood Services works closely with organ and tissue donation and transplantation programs across the country in developing leading practices, professional education, public awareness and data analysis and reporting. We also manage clinical programs that support interprovincial sharing of organs.
One of these national programs is the Kidney Paired Donation program (KPD). Sometimes a willing donor is unable to donate directly to a loved one because they are not compatible matches. Through Canadian Blood Services' Kidney Paired Donation Program, donors and recipients can be matched with other compatible pairs across Canada, creating chains of donation that save lives.
Since 2009, this program has allowed donors the possibility to help someone they know receive a kidney transplant, even if they are not a match with the recipient. Learn more about living organ donation, including how to become a living organ donor, at blood.ca/livingdonation, or find out more by contacting your provincial or territorial living donation program.
Learn more about Living Donation Week at livingdonationweek.ca.

https://www.concordmonitor.com/2026/09/11/letter-kidney-donations-do-not-have-to-harm-animals/

Letter: Kidney donations do not have to harm animals
September 11, 2026

Kidney donations do not have to harm animals
The former Anheuser-Busch property in Merrimack was recently purchased by United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing genetically modified pig organs. Before turning to pigs for their organs, we should do everything possible to increase living human kidney donation. Why spend years and millions of dollars developing an experimental pig kidney when human kidney transplantation is already an established treatment? We should launch a public campaign educating Americans about kidney donation and encouraging more people to become donors.
Humans have two kidneys. Healthy people can donate one and continue living a long and healthy life with the other. People can even donate to someone they have never met. This is called non-directed living kidney donation.
Kidney donation is a serious medical decision requiring extensive screening, but people deserve to know about it. Actor Jesse Eisenberg recently spoke publicly about donating a kidney to a stranger. His story can help show that living donation can give someone a second chance at life.

Anyone interested can contact a transplant hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon or call United Network for Organ Sharing at 1-866-678-6411.
Pigs bred for their organs are denied everything that is natural to them. We should not cause their suffering when a better alternative is available. We simply need to make more people aware of that alternative. Please help spread the word.
Linda Dionne, Raymond

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/kidney-exchange-chains/chains of Generosity Transforming Kidney Donation

The Chains of Generosity Transforming Kidney Donation
More than 90,000 people in the U.S. are on the waitlist for a kidney transplant. How many of their lives could be saved by strangers?
By: Anna Patton
July 30, 2026 7 min read

A
guy goes into a bar, and leaves with one less kidney. That's a joke Mark Scotch tells about his life. It's only a slight exaggeration: A chance encounter in 2020 did lead to him donating a kidney — although not quite in the way he expected.
Scotch, then 64, had gotten talking to Hugh Smith, 56, in a Louisiana bar. At the end of their conversation, Smith mentioned that he spent 10 hours every night on dialysis, something only a kidney transplant would change. "It went from this enjoyable experience of meeting him to thinking, 'Oh my God, this guy's life is just horrible.' ... It was just so abrupt," recalls Scotch. 
...

https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-announced-winners-of-2026-kidneyx-empower-living-link-prize-challenge.html

HHS Announces Winners of the 2026 KidneyX EMPOWER: Living Link Prize Challenge to Advance Living Kidney Donation and Patient-Centered Innovation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — August 27, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the nine winners of the 2026 KidneyX EMPOWER: Living Link Prize Challenge, a $4 million national competition to accelerate innovation supporting living kidney donors and patients who depend on them. The challenge was run through the Kidney Innovation Accelerator (KidneyX), a public-private partnership between HHS and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).
"Every American waiting for a kidney deserves the best chance at a longer, healthier life," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "Living kidney donation saves lives, yet too many willing donors face barriers that should not exist. We are removing those barriers and backing innovators with practical solutions that support donors, strengthen transplant care, and give more Americans a chance to live."
Addressing Critical Gaps in Living Donation
More than a dozen Americans die each day while waiting for a kidney, and nearly 100,000 Americans are currently waitlisted for a kidney transplant. Living kidney donation is one of the most effective treatment options for kidney failure, yet the number of living kidney donors has remained virtually flat for approximately two decades at fewer than 7,000 per year. Significant financial, logistical, educational, and social barriers often limit the number of people able to donate or receive a transplant.
2026 EMPOWER Prize Challenge Winners
The challenge, launched by the Trump Administration in April, generated significant enthusiasm across the kidney care community, with more than 85 unique submissions proposing innovations in living kidney donation. The 2026 EMPOWER Prize Challenge emphasized living donation as a critical pathway to improving outcomes and saving lives, ensuring that living donors are supported before, during, and after donation as they helped more Americans receive life-saving transplants. By combining real-world experience with technical innovation, the winners will create solutions that save lives and reach more people.
A total of nine winning teams were recognized for their bold, practical solutions that improve public awareness and mentorship; donor interventions; donor readiness and eligibility; donor-centered outcomes; and donation center practices.
"Advancing trusted, interoperable data infrastructure is critical to building a more connected, patient-centered, and innovative kidney care ecosystem," said National Coordinator for Health IT Dr. Thomas Keane, MD, MBA. "Solutions developed through initiatives like the KidneyX EMPOWER Prize Challenge will help us meet donors and patients where they are and help clinicians access the right information at the right time."
To encourage further progress, eight awardees will each receive $375,000, while one distinguished grand prize winner will receive a $1 million award recognizing their exceptional contributions toward enhancing support for donors, patients, and the broader healthcare community.

• Grand Prize Winner: Richard Horsley, LivingLink: A full-stack, open-source platform built on HL7 FHIR R4 that integrates natively into commonly used electronic health records (EHR) systems.
• Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian, DonorForward: Turning unused donor readiness into non-directed kidney transplants. A structured identification and decision aid system to expand the living donor pool.
• Dartmouth Transplant, A Rural Living Donor Tele-Navigation Hub: A telehealth-enabled care model shifting testing and care coordination closer to home to reduce travel barriers for rural donors.
• Kidney Connective, Best-fit routing for donors and their pairs: A donor and pair-facing best-fit routing experience that helps a donor and their recipient find the transplant center where they're both eligible.
• MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, Expanding Living Kidney Donation in Adults 65 and Older: Replaces fixed criteria with an individualized, age-adjusted, and risk-stratified evaluation framework.
• National Kidney Donation Organization, The NKDO Living Link Network: A national model connecting prospective donors and patients with trained living donor mentors and moderated peer discussions.
• NYU Langone Health Transplant Institute, CADENCE: A virtual program employing trained lay navigators to deliver the "Live Donor Champion" program, equipping families to act as advocates.
• Regenstrief Institute, LIVINGkidney: A standalone mobile app and website providing structured guidance and AI knowledge assistance.
• Virginia Commonwealth University, The KHCP Living Link Pathway: An EHR-enabled care model that uses rule-based chronic kidney disease identification and predictive risk equations to activate donors early.

Learn more about the winners here.
Advancing Living Kidney Donation
The winning solutions demonstrate how lived experience, technical innovation, clinical approaches, and community-based support can help address barriers across the living donation journey. By advancing innovations in these areas, the 2026 EMPOWER Prize Challenge emphasizes living donation as a critical pathway to improving outcomes and saving lives while ensuring that living donors are supported before, during and after donation.
"A kidney transplant from a living donor is the optimal form of treatment for most people with kidney failure, yet a variety of barriers have prevented many Americans from becoming living donors," said ASN President Samir M. Parikh, MD, FASN. "Today, I am inspired by the nine KidneyX Living Link EMPOWER prize challenge winners, whose winning solutions will help many people overcome these barriers and save the lives of their fellow Americans through living donation."
The award-winning teams will be honored during the KidneyX EMPOWER Winners Showcase on September 10, 2026. Winners will present their innovative strategies and solutions aimed at expanding living kidney donation.
About KidneyX
The Kidney Innovation Accelerator, or KidneyX, is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society of Nephrology. KidneyX accelerates innovation in kidney care by funding prize competitions and fostering collaboration across the kidney community to improve outcomes for people with kidney diseases.
Since its launch, KidneyX has catalyzed innovation across the kidney care ecosystem through a network of innovators dedicated to transforming prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, including transplantation.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/mass-general-brigham-pig-kidney-case/73608811

BARRINGTON, N.H. —
A historic first for organ transplants is happening in Boston, Massachusetts.

Doctors at Massachusetts General Brigham confirmed that a kidney transplanted from a genetically edited pig bought more time for a patient on the waitlist for a human organ.

The patient was a man in his 60s who had end-stage kidney disease.

He received the pig kidney in January 2025 and was able to stop dialysis.

The kidney was removed after 271 days, which is the longest anyone has lived with a pig kidney since doctors performed the world's first procedure in 2024.

This past January, the patient received a human kidney from a deceased donor.

His surgeon was not sure if it would work.

"There was a concern in the field overall that by doing a pig transplant, we would prevent or limit the options of getting a human kidney transplant," said Dr. Leonardo Riella of Mass. General Brigham. "And with this case, we demonstrated that it is possible that patients do not get sensitized and there are no major limitations. And now Tim, our recipient, is a little over 280 days since his human kidney transplant and is doing extremely well."

Tim Andrews spoke with NewsCenter 5 at his house by the lake and said he's doing well.

"I never thought I'd see it," Andrews said. "I thought I'd be dead, and that's fine, but people in the future won't have to suffer like this."

This so-called "bridge option" from a pig kidney to a human kidney could be available to more than 90,000 Americans on the waitlist, all because of Andrews's decision.

"Thousands, if not millions of people, because I took a chance, what more can you ask for?" he said.

September has songs aplenty lauding its nature as a widely felt turning point in the annual cycles of our lives. The folks we remember here doubled down on that sensation with life altering gifts given and received. We wonder what life now holds for all of them and those they love and are loved by. We hope only for the best for all. Best wishes to you in this seasoin of change. May it be for the better for you.

Thirty-fifth anniversary:
Lee donated a kidney to his father on September 11th, 1991

Thirty-third anniversary:
Rory Eckmann donated part of his liver to his niece, Megan, on September 7th, 1993

Twenty-sixth anniversary:
Cindy Leuty Jones donated a kidney to her brother on September 20th, 2000

Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Becky Bailey donated a kidney to her daughter, Brittney, on September 5th, 2001
Christine donated a kidney to a stranger on September 13th, 2001
Suzanne Hunter donated a kidney to her son, Ian, on September 17th, 2001. The graft failed four years later and Ian has been back on dialysis.
Marcia Pitlor donated a kidney to her brother on September 18th, 2001
Irene Lewis donated a kidney to her husband's ex's daughter on September 19th, 2001

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
The Reverend Ronda L. Hawkins donated a kidney to one of her parishioners on September 4th, 2002
Brandi Wittman donated a kidney to a co-worker on September 25th, 2002
Wendy Miller donated a kidney to her sister on September 25th, 2002
Joe Zangara donated a kidney to his mother, Audrey, on September 30th, 2002

Twenty-third anniversary:
Howard donated a kidney to his brother on September 3rd, 2003
Beth Wilson donated a kidney to her mother, Lola, on September 16th, 2003
Clay donated a kidney to a stranger on September 26th, 2003
Christopher Yanakos donated part of his liver to his mother on September 28th, 2003

Twenty-second anniversary:
Joyce A. Falsey donated a kidney to a stranger on September 7th, 2004
Emalene Englestad donated a kidney to her sister-in-law on September 9th, 2004
Nancy Foster donated part of her liver to her brother on September 13th, 2004
Debbie Petway donated a kidney to her father, Melvin, on September 21st, 2004
Shelby Humberg Richardson donated a kidney to her brother on September 22nd, 2004

Twenty-first anniversary:
Chaya Lipschutz donated a kidney to a stranger in September 2005
Cindy Fox donated part of her liver to her husband, Victor, on September 1st, 2005
Jenn donated a kidney to her brother on September 20th, 2005
Lisa Branting donated a kidney to her best friend's husband on September 25th, 2005
Suzanne Weiner donated a kidney to a friend on September 26th, 2005
Lillie donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on September 27th, 2005
Rose Crawford donated a kidney to her brother on September 30th, 2005

Twentieth anniversary:
Janice Kost donated a kidney to her nephew on September 5th, 2006
Christina Dobosiewicz donated a kidney to her stepfather, John Fattorusso, now deceased,  on September 6th, 2006
Kelvin Hockstock donated a kidney to his wife on September 8th, 2006
Kathie Jackson donated a kidney to Ken Singer, no relation, on September 26th, 2006
Malkah Buchweitz donated a kidney to her brother on September 28th, 2006

Nineteenth anniversary:
Kimberly Hill donated a kidney to her brother, Tim Edgar, on September 5th, 2007
Kim Alice donated a kidney to her stepfather on September 12th, 2007
Ray Vidic donated a kidney to his friend, Troy Kahklen, on September 13th, 2007
Stacey Canas donated a kidney to her best friend's mom on September 13th, 2007
Gabrielle Benson donated a kidney to her husband on September 24th, 2007

Eighteenth anniversary:
Ailey donated a kidney to a church associate on September 16th, 2008
Carmen Spanglers donated a kidney to her friend's husband on September 22nd, 2008
Diane donated a kidney to her brother-in-law, Mark, on September 23rd, 2008
Margaret Florence donated a kidney to her cousin on September 23rd, 2008
Krystal Star Garcia donated a kidney to her husband, Manuel, on September 24th, 2008
Jill Andahazy donated a kidney to her husband's cousin Katie on September 25th, 2008
Carla Giampaglia donated a kidney to an unrelated person on September 26th, 2008
Angi Kaltenbach donated a kidney to a friend on September 30th, 2008
Jeff Hill donated a kidney to Eric Miller on September 30th, 2008
Tammy Stickney donated a kidney to her father on September 30th, 2008

Seventeenth anniversary:
Tom Stalsitz donated a kidney to his friend, Joseph R. Brugger, on September 4th, 2009
Cathleen Aliberti donated part of her liver to her sister, Maureen Manning, on September 9th, 2009
Melissa Foskett Goleno donated a piece of her liver to her then 12 year old niece on September 10th, 2009
Leonard Spogis donated part of his liver to his brother-in-law, Michael Olson, on September 23rd, 2009
Terri O'Brien donated her left kidney to her cousin's wife on September 29th, 2009

Sixteenth anniversary:
Julie Coronel donated a kidney to her husband, Ruben, on September 7th, 2010
Brett Hartmann donated a kidney to a friend's son on September 18th, 2010
Andria donated a kidney to her son, Daniel, on September 28th, 2010
George Taniwaki made a non-directed kidney donation on September 10th 2010

Fifteenth anniversary:
Michelle Wortman donated a kidney to her sister on September 1st, 2011
Jeff Smith made a non-directed kidney donation on September 5th, 2011
Tori Neese Bergstrom donated "Billy the Kidney" to her friend on September 6th, 2011
Angela Stimpson became a non-directed kidney donor on September 22nd, 2011

Fourteenth anniversary:
Pam donated part of her liver to her brother, Edwin Dudley, on September 4th, 2012
Sue donated a kidney to her husband, Jeff, on September 4th, 2012
Sara Stallings donated a kidney to her son, Mac Yeida, on September 12th, 2012
Dawn donated a kidney to her daughter, Mandy, on September 27th, 2012

Thirteenth anniversary:
Brian Hartung donated a kidney to his brother, Brad, on September 9th, 2013
Sally Obrien donated a kidney to her friend, Sally Busset, on September 18th, 2013
Patty Hogan Jack donated part of her liver to her sister on September 24th, 2013
Terry Hunter made a non-directed kidney donation on September 30th, 2013

Eleventh anniversary:
Julianne Bancroft made a non-directed kidney donation on September 16th, 2015
Archie White donated a kidney to his daughter, Carrie, on September 30th, 2015

Tenth anniversary:
Susan Huizenga donated a kidney to Buddi Subba, found through their church bulletin, on September 12th, 2016
Natasha Richards donated a kidney to her step-father, Bernardo Bermudez, on September 20th, 2016

Seventh anniversary:
Constance M. Smith made a non-directed donation to Connie Cull on September 27th 2019

Third anniversary:
Julee Morrissy donated a kidney to one of her best friends, Brian Chilla, on September 5th, 2023

Second anniversary:
Gunnar Naughton donated a kidney to his fellow Marine, Byron, as part of a paired exchange on September 17th, 2024

First anniversary:
Andrea Teeters made a non-directed donation of part of liver on September 15th, 2025

https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/08/19/meet-the-evanston-mom-who-started-donor-chain-that-led-to-ethan-carpenters-kidney-transplant/

Meet the Evanston mom who started donor chain that led to Ethan Carpenter's kidney transplant
by Wendi Kromash

Carolyn Read, a palliative care nurse practitioner who lives in Evanston, is the donor who started the chain that ultimately connected Ethan Carpenter to his ideal match. Read was inspired to donate after reading a 2025 RoundTable article.

Derrick and Marie-Paule, Ethan's parents, were told that after the story ran, about 90 people were screened.
A great surgical experience

Read's surgery took place on July 16 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and she went home the following day. Ultimately Read's kidney went to a man in his 40s or 50s for whom her kidney was a perfect match.

On the phone, she was eager to discuss her surgery.

"Look at how great I feel. And this is two weeks out. Imagine where I'll be six months out. Like they say, a lot of people get healthier because then you start really paying attention," she said.

What made Read pursue donation?

"The story about Ethan came out in the RoundTable last year, and that was where I read it. And I was like, 'Well, why not try? He's 18, he's otherwise really healthy, and has a whole life in front of him. How could I not at least try?' " said Read. It turned out that Read and Marie-Paule, Ethan's mom, knew each other casually through the booster board at ETHS, but Read hadn't made the connection when she began her donor journey.

Financial assistance for donors

"The state of Illinois mandates that the employer pays an organ donor for two full weeks without them having to take any paid time off, sick time, leave of absence, anything like that. So, the first two weeks of my pay are full pay based on the state of Illinois' law, which is huge, right?" Read said.

"But it's so important for people to know there are ways to fund this," she said. She worked with the National Living Donor Assistance Center to find resources and assistance. In addition to the state-mandated two weeks off, Read activated her short-term disability policy through her employer, which pays a percentage of her salary. Short-term disability policies usually pay 60 to 80% of a weekly paycheck, depending on one's employer.

"They [NLDAC] are giving me that percentage that I'm not getting, so they're making my paycheck whole for those three weeks that I'm on disability or short-term disability," Read said. She will take one week of paid time off.
"The association also pays for mileage, parking. If you have to fly somewhere to donate, if you need to stay in a hotel, if your caregiver needs food while they're waiting for you or while you're in the hospital, they pay for all sorts of stuff, and it makes this whole thing so much more doable. I think they can give up to $6,000 per donor," she said.

"If I had more kidneys, I would do it again."

https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/state-michigan-allows-tax-credit-private-employers-living-organ-donors

State of Michigan allows tax credit for private employers of living organ donors
The bill passes over a year after the State of Michigan began giving a one-time tax credit or deduction to individual living organ donors
The State of Michigan has passed a new bill that will allow private employers to receive a tax deduction or credit for employees who are given paid time off to be living organ donors.
This bill comes over a year after Michigan passed a separate bill allowing for a one-time tax credit or deduction for living organ donors to cover expenses related to their donation.
For public employees, leave for organ donation now is included in Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA.
The passing of SB 301 will allow private employers to deduct or claim a tax credit for any employees who were living donors during the tax year starting January 1, 2026.
This is currently a voluntary program.
Potential donor candidates should inform their employers about this option.