Young Female (No Children) Possible Donor to My 24 Year Old Sister

[blondestac]

Hello,

I've been trying to find someone to ask questions to who has donated their kidney at a young age, under 35 and not had a child yet, then successfully had one? I've been tested for donating a kidney to my 24-year old sister. I'm 26 years old. I have passed the physical tests but I have to be cleared on the pyschological level because of history of depression and cutting. They also have a fear that I am being pressured to do it.

I just want to know how hard it is to have a child after having only one kidney, being that I dont' have a family quite yet. It's making it hard to decide because everyone who I know that has donated has been a male or already has a family and is established. If I was 35 with a kid and had a steady job I would do it in an instant.

My reality is I still have student loans, not a stable career at this point and I'm recently engaged with no childen.

I'm not saying no to donation I just would like to hear from others who have been in a similar situation and I haven't found any.

[Amberwoo]

Hey,
I am almost exactly in your situation, I am 25 (will be 26 end of this month) have student loans, do not have a stable job, not kids, have been cleared to donate, hopefully mid May.  When I was talking to the social worker at the University of MD about my donation she offered to give me contact information for other women who donated before having kids, if that was something I wanted to know about.  So I would talk to your transplant center, they may have contact information for people who have gone through the process at their hospital and then had children.

[sherri]

Amberwoo,

I see that you are planning on donating at University of Maryland. I work as a transplant coordinator for stem cell/bone marrow transplant. If you would like a visitor or have any questions please feel free to email me. The unit is a nice unit, surgeons and physicians are experienced. Most donors who I have encountered there are pleases with their experience. I donated at Hopkins because that is where my recipient chose. But  I always have felt comfortable at UMMC.

Best of luck,

Sherri

[wlillie]

Donated in 2005. Successful and easy pregnancies in 2008 and 2012. My doctor (military) in 2012 freaked out and started a whole bunch of "high risk" paperwork until I finally convinced him that I had donated and not received the kidney. Besides that, I was treated like other pregnant women.

You will be at a very very small higher risk than a 2 kidney woman for Pre eclampsia. Feel free to message me for any specifics.