To find a living donor, here is what worked for us (from Karol Franks and family):
1.Set up a FREE Caringbridge site and post your story and some photos and start your journal. www.caringbridge.com
2. Let your story be known. Email all your friends, relatives, co-workers, alumni association, fraternity/sorority, neighbors, and church that you have the Caringbridge site and ask that they get the message out that you’re hoping to find a kidney donor.
3. Be sure to check to see if your hospital will accept an altruistic donor, not all hospitals do. If yours does, go to www.livingdonorsonline.org and read the section for transplant recipients about searching for a kidney. You can also post a “Looking for” message on the forum. NOTE: set up a separate free email account specifically for responses so you will not get spammed or give out your primary email address. It is illegal to buy organs. Use common sense when dealing with strangers on the internet.
4. Post a plea for a donor on www.Matchingdonors.com. There is a fee, but it will be adjusted or waived for those people who cannot afford it.
5. If you have a friend or family member who is willing to donate but is the wrong blood type, you could possibly arrange a swap through John Hopkins Hospital or consider PDN, https://paireddonation.org/.
6. If you are the patient and are too sick or overwhelmed to explore options, or don’t have access to a computer, ask someone to help do this for you.
7. Don’t give up!
More from Karol Franks
https://www.rsnhope.org/rsn-blog/how-to-find-a-kidney-donor/
