For patients and families

How to find a living kidney donor

Finding a living donor can cut years off the wait for a kidney. Most people find their donor the same way: by telling their story to a lot of people and letting someone step forward. Here is how to do that, including what has worked for John Watkins in Tulsa.

Updated November 8, 2026. General information, not medical advice. Your transplant center has the final word.

1. Think "share my story," not "ask for a kidney"

Transplant teams say the same thing over and over: your job is to start the conversation, not to ask one person for an organ. People need time to think. Share what you are going through and how living donation works, and let them come to you.

2. Pick a champion

A champion is a friend or family member who tells your story for you. It is easier for them to say "my friend needs a kidney" than for you to say "I need yours." John's friends built this website and a prayer app so people could follow his story and share it.

3. Make your list wider than you think

Family, including cousins and in-laws
Your church or faith community
Coworkers, school families, coaches and teammates
Neighbors, clubs, alumni groups

4. Tell the story well

Who you are, with a real photo. People connect with a face and a family.
Why you need a kidney, in a sentence or two.
That a living donor kidney usually lasts longer than one from the waiting list.
That a donor does not need to match you, thanks to paired donation.
That screening is free, private, and the donor can stop at any time.
Exactly what to do next: a phone number or link to your transplant center.

5. Go wide: social media, church and local news

Set social posts to public and ask people to share them. Put a short note in your church bulletin or school newsletter. Hand out cards with a link. Local TV stations often cover these stories; John's story was covered by News On 6 in Tulsa, which helped many people learn about paired donation for the first time.

6. Stay safe

Anyone offering a kidney for money is breaking the law. Send every interested person to your transplant center. Never collect a stranger's medical information yourself. The center protects both of you.

7. Give people a way to help even if they cannot donate

Most people who hear your story will not donate, and that is fine. They can pray, share, bring a meal, or help someone else find their donor. John's free prayer app is one example: thousands of small acts keep the story moving until the right person hears it.

Common questions

What is the best way to find a living kidney donor?

Share your story widely, with family, church, work, school and social media, and let a friend or family member act as your champion. Send anyone interested to your transplant center.

How do I ask someone to be my kidney donor?

Most transplant teams suggest not asking one person directly. Share your story, explain how living donation works, and let people come forward on their own time.

Does a living donor have to match the patient?

No. Through paired kidney donation, a donor who does not match can give to a stranger, and the patient receives a compatible kidney from another donor.

Is it legal to pay a kidney donor?

No. Buying or selling organs is illegal in the United States. Donors can be reimbursed for reasonable costs like travel and lost wages through approved programs.

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.

Start the screening for John

Read John's story · Pray for John

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