https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-launches-kidney-care-national-plan.html

HHS Launches Landmark National Plan to Transform Kidney Care in America

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today launched the Kidney Care National Plan, a coordinated department-wide strategy focused on revitalizing American kidney care.
As part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative, the new Kidney Care National Plan will address the root cause of disease and implement better treatments for Americans at every stage of kidney disease. The Plan identifies where federal action can improve kidney care across the entire spectrum of kidney disease, eliminate regulatory barriers to support innovation and a well-functioning kidney market, and deliver greater choice and superior outcomes to Americans.

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https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/

The leaves are turning from green to many colors and falling more rapidly each day. We here at LDO have marked the passing of time with monthly acknowledgement of those experiencing anniversaries of our attempts to have a positive impact on another's life. 

We wonder how Andrew and his sister, Carol, are doing 50 years on, and so many more family members expressing loving relationships, and Jack, 27 years ago, among the earliest unrelated donors, and Stephanie, 23 years ago, among the first non-directed donors. We remember and hope for heart's ease for Rebecca, 16 years ago among the few we know of with a tragic outcome. We wonder about the 14 year old Erin tried to help all unknown to her at the time seven years ago as she perhaps turns 21 this year. Best wishes, as we all mark another years' passing.

Sadly, we're winding down LDO next year. While we may accept new additions to our calendar, and we'll post anniversaries monthly until the site shuts down, we can't guarantee we'll be sharing new anniversaries before we close down.

If you feel you are passionate enough, fair enough, and kind enough to take this labor of love on, please reach out to us. The rate of original post creation, the number of individual humans doing page views, the number of donors adding their anniversaries to our calendar all suggest the time for advocacy via independent, non-governmental, non-medical website by volunteers is past. If you disagree and want the job, we're open to helping you succeed. We'll miss this resource, but Michael's been at it for 26 years, I've been helping him for 23 years, and relying on his work and talking with a Donor Buddy two years before posting and becoming a moderator, and Karol, our non-donor recipient's Mom posted for years before becoming a moderator 15 years ago? More? 

It's time for new folks or time to fold the tent. Please get in touch if you have the fire inside to make it live on. Thank you all!

Fiftieth anniversary:
Andrew Janollari donated a kidney to his sister, Carol, on October 12th, 1976

Thirty-seventh anniversary:
Tyrone Hyslop donated part of his liver to his sister on October 18th, 1989

Thirty-sixth anniversary:
Dannielle Hayes donated a kidney to her mother on October 9th, 1990

Thirtieth anniversary:
Lisa Moore donated a kidney to her sister on October 17th, 1996
Leslie Moore Boyd donated a kidney to her father, Charles, on October 31st, 1996. He lived three more years, during which he welcomed his last grandchild into this world.

Twenty-eighth anniversary:
Robert S. Burroughs donated a kidney to his sister on October 10th, 1998
Charlotte Singletary donated a kidney to her sister, Cindy Murdock, on October 21st, 1998

Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Jack Hallman donated a kidney to Donna Leubke's recipient, her sister, his friend, on October 19th, 1999

Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Barb donated a kidney to her brother on October 1st, 2001. He was re-transplanted 6 days later.
Ellen Souviney donated a kidney to a friend on October 2nd, 2001
Michelle Nichols donated a kidney to a stranger on October 29th, 2001
Jennifer Beckwith donated a kidney to her sister on October 30th, 2001

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Mary DeLeeuw donated a kidney to a friend on October 8th, 2002
Sylvia Ridley donated a kidney to her mother, Lucy, on October 23rd, 2002
Janice Uible donated a kidney to her husband on October 29th, 2002

Twenty-third anniversary:
Tina Alvarez donated a kidney to her sister on October 13th, 2003
Stephanie Powell donated a kidney to a stranger on October 21st, 2003
Marilyn Zeller-Walker donated a kidney to her daughter on October 28th, 2003

Twenty-second anniversary:
Lynn Cosgrove donated a kidney anonymously on October 12th, 2004
Samuel R. Smitty II donated a kidney to an unrelated person on October 20th, 2004
Gladys Sanders donated a kidney to her daughter on October 29th, 2004

Twenty-first anniversary:
Bruce Doty donated a kidney to his daughter, Tracey, on October 12th, 2005, the day before her 23rd birthday
Angela Dale donated a kidney to her friend, Charles Coats, on October 19th, 2005
Lynda Gammons donated a kidney to her husband, Ian, on October 20th, 2005
Ruth Woodhall donated a kidney to her cousin, Alan, on October 27th, 2005

Twentieth anniversary:
Michael Joseph donated a kidney to a stranger found on LDO in October, 2006
Patty-Lynn Gouthro donated a kidney to her sister on October 4th, 2006
Bryan Compton donated a kidney to his wife, Debbie, on October 10th, 2006
Vince C. donated a kidney to his wife on October 17th, 2006
Amanda Mathenia donated a kidney to her father, Terry, on October 25th, 2006

Nineteenth anniversary:
Lauren Chavis donated a kidney to Christina Hill on October 2nd, 2007
Tina Schwaderer donated a kidney to David Martin on October 2nd, 2007
Kim Jackson donated her left kidney to her mother on October 5th, 2007
Ann Davis donated a kidney to her husband on October 22nd, 2007
Khalifa Al Shaibani donated a kidney to his brother, Hamad, on October 26th, 2007
Diane Curtiss donated a kidney to her husband on October 30th, 2007

Eighteenth anniversary:
Nathan Pearl donated a kidney to his sister on October 7th, 2008
Edwin E. Rodriguez, Sr., donated a kidney to his son, Edwin E. Rodriguez, Jr., on October 9th, 2008
Anne-Marie Meyer donated her right kidney to her friend Susie on October 14th, 2008
Lorrie Whitfield donated a kidney to her husband on October 15th, 2008
Carole Stueben donated a kidney to her father on October 16th, 2008
Oliver Foggin donated a kidney to a friend on October 17th, 2008
Kathy Harris donated a kidney to her husband on October 23rd, 2008
Sarah McDaniel donated a kidney to a stranger in a list exchange on October 28th, 2008 (her mother received a deceased-donor kidney four weeks later)

Seventeenth anniversary:
Linda donated a kidney to her husband on October 8th, 2009
Faith McKinney donated a kidney to her cousin's husband, Steve Carter, on October 20th, 2009
Carmen Manning donated a kidney to her father on October 23rd, 2009
Phil Hoover gave his left kidney to one of his college professors from more than 20 years ago on October 28th, 2009

Sixteenth anniversary:
Rebecca Chambers Farwell donated a kidney to her husband, Keith, on October 19th, 2010.  He died a short time later from a preventable complication.
Scott Jenkins donated a kidney to a stranger in need on October 22nd, 2010

Fifteenth anniversary:
Shelby Morris donated a kidney to a friend on October 6th, 2011
Tricia Carter donated a kidney to her sister, Elaine, on October 16th, 2011
Brenda Walsh donated a kidney to her brother, Robert Rhinas, on October 17th, 2011
Tom Carr made a non-directed kidney donation on October 21st, 2011
Linda donated a kidney to her best friend from high school on October 28th, 2011
Sonya Martinez donated a kidney to her husband Jaime, on October 28th, 2011

Fourteenth anniversary:
Linda Bernard donated a kidney on October 1st, 2012
Shana Roche donated part of her liver to her father, Michael Cox, on October 4th, 2012
Scott W. Barnes donated a kidney to his uncle, Billy Gene Crum, on October 18th, 2012

Thirteenth anniversary:
Christa Bolette Hassen donated part of her liver to four week old Maddox Raptosh on October 16th, 2013
Bruce Stanfill donated a kidney to his neighbor, Ben Bott, on October 23rd, 2013
Julie Chahal donated a kidney to her father, Ken, on October 23rd, 2013
June Krueger donated a kidney to her long time friend, Cindy Dischinger, on October 30th, 2013

Twelfth anniversary:
Jon Aplin donated part of his liver to his friend, Jaci Rego, on October 2nd, 2014
Angel McCliggott donated a kidney on October 31st, 2014

Eleventh anniversary:
Diane R Witte donated a kidney to her husband, Marvin, on their 21st wedding anniversary, October 12th, 2015
Jack Kenneth Omondi Ouko donated a kidney to his sister, Jael Akinyi Ouko, on October 13th, 2015
Lisa Mendpara donated a kidney to her husband, Ris***, on October 14th, 2015

Tenth anniversary:
Donna Aitken donated a kidney to her sister, Karen, on October 25th, 2016

Seventh anniversary:
Tom Davies made a non-directed kidney donation on October 16th 2019
April Wilson donated a kidney to her mother, Marylou Walker, on October 21st, 2019
Erin Kirchner donated a kidney anonymously, reportedly to a 14 year old girl in Minnesota, on October 22nd, 2019

Fifth anniversary:
Anita I. Costello donated a kidney to her husband, Zavier D. Mauldin, on October 25th, 2021

Fourth anniversary:
Rose Osborn donated a kidney to her cousin, Angel Cesta, on October 6th, 2022

First anniversary:
Molly Williams donated her kidney to obtain a voucher for her brother, Max Beal, on October 7th, 2025. He was to receive a kidney on April 15th, 2026
Eileen Mullin donated part of her liver to her brother, William, on October 22nd, 2025

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.