One of the most common question we have received since going public in our search to find a living kidney donor and starting this blog is: “Are you on the list?” Most people simply assume that once you’ve been diagnosed with kidney failure, you’ll automatically be added to “the list”* to receive a kidney from a living donor.
What we have learned is that there is no list for kidney patients seeking a living kidney donor.
Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease must seek out their own living kidney donor. There is no list. It puts patients and their family in the desperate, awkward and difficult position to ask people to consider becoming a living kidney donor.
Eligibility for a deceased donor kidney transplant occurs only after one’s health condition has deteriorated to the point where you are already on kidney dialysis. And even then, the wait time for a deceased donor kidney is based on a variety of factors including the amount of time you’ve already been on dialysis.
“The average length of time a person lives on dialysis is maybe four years or so. If you hear that news and you hear the wait for a deceased donor organ is eight to 10 years, the math doesn’t add up.”
Joyce Van Deuzen, Kidney Foundation of Canada
Source: https://www.mainlinehealth.org/specialties/kidney-transplant-program/dialysis-vs-kidney-transplant
Sadly there is no list of living kidney donors and this is why we are asking for your help.
* Provincially waiting list for a deceased donor kidney
My dog, Maddy, and our friends allan, Sharon and sunny (dog) joined shelly and me at the kidney walk, high park, toronto on Saturday, September 21, 2019.
Share this blog with others, your social networks, friends and family — because it only takes one — one donor, one kidney, one life to save.
If you think that you or someone you know may have an interest or have some questions about the process, then please call:
St. Michael’s Hospital Living Donor Transplant Team
(416) 867-3676
Contact us: 1kidney4eric@gmail.com
Kidney for Eric 