(updated 2022)
Being a living kidney donor now for 20+ years (2022) I thought it would be appropriate to start with the following info about finding a living donor. Also included is information about home dialysis, reuse, and other commentary.
Find a Living Donor!
Harvey Mysel established the LKDN after recognizing the need for better resources while pursuing a successful living kidney transplant in 2006:
Hear what he has to say at this Dialysis Advocates' blogtalk radio broadcast:
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There are many good people in this world looking to help others. Karol Franks from Living Donors Online and I Hate Dialysis was kind enough to share information she gathered after spending time working to find help for her daughter:
Thanks to Karol Franks and Renal Support Network!
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In 2004 Steve Farber, coauthor of "On the List", accepted the gift of a life-saving kidney from his eldest son Gregg. The experience inspired Steve to give back and found the organization American Transplant Foundation. At last count, the organization has saved 1,417 lives and provided $832,000 in direct patient and family support nationwide!
Living Donation Guide (contains links to 'Finding a Living Donor' and 'Potential Living Donor Database')
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2017 article from Vox
Talks about one man's experience as a kidney donor and mentions ways to become a donor through The National Kidney Registry, Waitlist Zero, and Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation:
Why I gave my kidney to a stranger — and why you should consider doing it too
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Myths and Facts about Organ Donation
At the time this is being wrote, there are almost 90,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant. As if there aren't enough medical barriers to kidney donation, there also exists a lot of myths that are just plain wrong! The article linked to attempts to dispel much of this misinformation:
Myth and Facts about Organ Donation article
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Home Dialysis
Before donating a kidney to my daughter in 2000 I was inspired by one of my mentors, Dr. Kenneth Bays, to look into home dialysis if donating a kidney wasn't going to work out. Years ago I stumbled on a website that I found not only having great information on home dialysis, but also having great technical info on dialysis in general! Here in 2022 I still haven't changed my mind:
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State Inspections and Lawsuits
State inspections are done on kidney dialysis facilities and can be obtained from a state's health department. We have decided to post these inspection reports for the following reasons:
- in order to aid those dealing with kidney disease in educating themselves with what can go wrong in a dialysis facility.
- It can also help those in a facility that has been inspected to see what is going on behind the scenes.
- To aid clinics in delivering better care and understanding what inspection teams look for
Also on this website are public reports which include lawsuits which are meant to enlighten readers about about what goes on behind the scenes in this field of medicine:
click_for_state_inspection_reports_and_lawsuits
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Dialyzer Reuse studies
(concerns about reuse)
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Commentary
Our Dialysis Policies Are Disastrous
