Good Samaritan donation
Can I donate a kidney to a stranger?
Yes. Every year a small number of people donate a kidney to someone they have never met. It is called non-directed, altruistic or Good Samaritan donation. Fewer than 5 percent of living kidney donors give this way, and their gifts often do more than help one person.
Why one stranger can help several people
Many patients have a loved one willing to donate who does not match. A Good Samaritan donor gives to the first of those patients. That patient's loved one then gives to the next patient, and so on. One person's kidney can set off a chain of several transplants. These chains are how paired donation programs like the one John is in find matches.
Three ways to give to a stranger
- Start a chain through a paired donation program, so your gift helps as many people as possible.
- Family voucher: through the National Kidney Registry, donate now and name up to five family members who would be prioritized if they ever need a kidney. How vouchers work.
- The waiting list: give to the next best match on the deceased donor waiting list.
A "specific stranger" counts too
You can also choose to help a particular person you have never met, like someone whose story you read online. That is called directed donation, even though you are strangers. Many people who come forward for John Watkins have never met him. If you do not match him, paired donation lets your kidney help someone else while John gets a match from another donor.
How to start
Call any transplant center and ask for the living donor coordinator, usually a nurse. Tell them you would like to donate to someone you do not know. They will send a health questionnaire, and if it looks good, you will be invited for testing. It costs you nothing, it is private, and you can stop at any step.
Take your time
Good Samaritan donors often say it was one of the most meaningful things they ever did. It is also a real surgery with real recovery. Centers look for donors who are choosing freely and calmly, not out of pressure, guilt or a hard night. Read, sleep on it, talk with people you trust, and come back when you are ready. The need will still be there, and so will the people who can answer your questions.
Common questions
Can you donate a kidney to someone you do not know?
Yes. It is called non-directed, altruistic or Good Samaritan donation. Fewer than 5 percent of living kidney donors give this way.
What happens to a kidney donated to a stranger?
It often starts a paired donation chain, where your kidney goes to one patient and their incompatible loved one donates to the next patient, helping several people get transplants.
Can I choose who gets my kidney?
In non-directed donation, no. But you can donate to a specific person you have never met, such as someone whose story you read, which is called directed donation.
How do I start donating a kidney to a stranger?
Call a transplant center, ask for the living donor coordinator, and say you want to donate to someone you do not know. Screening is free and you can stop at any time.
One man in Tulsa is waiting right now.
John Watkins is a dad, a husband and an assistant principal who needs a kidney. Anyone in the U.S. can start the free, private screening for him. You can stop at any step.
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