Living Organ Donation
Being a living organ donor is an opportunity to make a difference in another person’s life – possibly even saving it. Living organ donation allows a patient to receive a transplant without the often-long wait for a deceased donor and can help a transplant patient get their life back.
- In the United States, more than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for an organ transplant. And every year, thousands of people are removed from that list because of failing health.
- Organ transplants using living donors can help. In 2021, more than 6,500 transplants were made possible by living donors.
For additional information please visit the American Society for Transplantation (AST) website. This resource includes a living kidney donor toolkit, a living liver donor toolkit, and a financial toolkit.
The Benefits of Living Donation
Most living organ donations involve a kidney or a segment of the liver. Other organs can be donated but are much rarer. Generally, living donor organ transplants have a better chance of transplant success.
In fact, living kidney donor transplants work longer on average than transplants from deceased donors. Living donor liver transplants also have as good or better outcomes compared to liver transplants from deceased donors.
Living Organ Donation at UNC Hospitals
At UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, you can donate a kidney or a segment of your liver. You’ll partner with our donor advocate. They’ll look out for your best interests throughout the process. Your partnership with your donor advocate continues from the time you make the decision to donate through your recovery.
