Help needed regarding the process of finding living donor

[BeachLove]

I have been on dialysis for 1 1/2 years and now am told that I need to find a living donor. The wait list for my type O blood is 7 years : ((((( I had been on the liver and kidney list for a year for a deceased donor, received 2 calls, and now it seems my liver has regenerated itself. This is a good thing, except for the excruciatingly long kidney list. Advice much appreciated re: finding a living donor. This feels like an impossible big ask, and like looking for a needle in a haystack.

[DexterLab]

Asking was the hardest part of my adventure. It's not like you are selling Girl Scout cookies. Not the surgery, not the shock of having to get the transplant. My transplant center recommended asking everywhere. They have tales of people donating to their mechanic. One person donated to a member of their rescue dog group. A teacher asked on Facebook and got 15 former students volunteered. I ended up asking at my church, because I have seen that depth of care from them. My pastor ended up being my donor and we are both doing well, three years in. So start where you are comfortable, and expand. Good luck.

[LavenderRabbit]

I would suggest finding a good friend who will do the asking for you. It is so much easier to ask on someone else’s behalf. You need an Advocate. I echo everything that DexterLab said as well. Those are good places to start.

[Beachgirl32]

Beach love it is super hard asking for a living donor . Best to ask all your friends and family .which I have done but I’m a hard match cause if high antibodies. 6 people have tested for me no match . I have all my friends post on their Facebook sites and whatever social media one cousin did a video on tic toc fir me asking fir a donor . I have sent out blast email out to all my church family and also one of my pastor put it in our church Facebook . Check with your transplant center if the work with the microsite site where you can write a story of you needing a transplant you can built a web page saying why you need a donor . Great news about your liver.

[DexterLab]

My center has an exchange program, where your donor's kidney goes elsewhere and a matching kidney comes back to you. So match is not as critical as it used to be. Check with your center.

[metalminded]

I had a hard time looking for a living donor. I've had my transplant (deceased donor) for 8 years but after the BK virus took it's toll, I'll eventually need another transplant. Like you, I am an O. That was the tough part because, at least when I went through all of this 8+ years ago I was told since an O blood type can donate to anyone it was more difficult to work with the exchange program.

I waited for 6+ years for my kidney so I understand how quickly the desire is to find a donor. The ideas here are great! When it comes time, I will utilize my circle of friends and family and a much stronger social media presence to help find a potential donor!

Best of luck to you!

[LavenderRabbit in reply to metalminded]

I have O blood. I worked with the exchange program. It only took about 4 months.

[metalminded in reply to LavenderRabbit]

That’s awesome!!

[green1973]

Very happy to know that your liver got regenerated!god bless you with a living kidney donor as well.

[wind00]

The National Kidney Foundation has a mentor program to help support this process. I would recommend looking into the Peers Program and getting paired with someone who has been through it themselves. Good luck with making this big ask of family and friends and everyone else and be brave!

[mom2kak]

We partnered with a non-profit organization called Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation to help us find a living kidney donor for my husband. They are in NY. My husband received a kidney from a wonderful woman from Iowa.