Easy Facts About Living Kidney Donation
Living kidney donation is when a kind person gives one kidney to someone in need. Most of us are born with two kidneys, but the truth is you can lead a happy, healthy, and full life with only one.
We are here to help you find answers, not to push you into a choice. Getting the facts is just the first step.
Living Kidney Donation by the Numbers
90,000Â people
in the United States waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor
Â
2–10 years
typical wait time for a deceased-donor kidney
Â
8–15 years
how long the average kidney from a deceased donor lasts
Â
20–40 years
how long the average kidney from a living donor lasts
You don't have to be related.
You must be at least 18.
Most donors don't just recover -- they thrive.
Your medical costs are covered.
Testing is confidential.
Learning more doesn't commit you.
Only the transplant team can determine whether donation is right for you.
Could I Be a Living Kidney Donor?
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
You don't have to live in Florida. Donors from any state are welcome.
Allison needs a kidney from a living donor with type O blood (Rh positive or negative). If you are type O, or you know someone who is, you could be her match. Not sure of your blood type? That's okay -- most people aren't. The transplant team confirms it as part of the free donor evaluation.
What Is a Directed Living Donation?
Allison is hoping to find a living donor whose kidney can be donated directly to her. This is called a directed living donation.
Â
Some people choose to donate a kidney to someone they know—or to someone whose story has touched their heart. That is different from an undirected living donation, in which a donor gives a kidney anonymously
to someone they have never met.
Â
If you are considering becoming Allison's donor, you would be exploring a directed living donation.
Your Health Comes First
The transplant team will only approve living donation if they believe it is safe for you. Your health and long-term well-being always come first.
Comprehensive medical testing.
Independent donor advocate.
Your information remains confidential.
You may stop the process at any time.
If donation isn't safe for you, you won't be approved to donate.
✓
✓
✓
✓
Are Living Donors Financially Protected?
Yes, and because it's one of the most common worries, here's exactly how it works.
​
Allison's insurance covers the donor's medical costs: your evaluation, testing, surgery, hospital charges, and up to six months of post-surgical and follow-up care. You will not receive medical bills for donating.
​
For non-medical costs like travel and lodging, UF Health donors can apply for assistance through the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC), and Allison's transplant coordinator can walk you through the financial resources available to you.
​
And if any incidental travel or lodging costs fall outside what these programs cover, Allison's family will take care of them. No one should be out of pocket for their generosity.
​
Asking about any of this commits you to nothing.
Â
Learn More
Talk with the transplant team and ask any questions you may have.
The Living Donation Process
1
Medical Evaluation
Complete confidential testing to determine whether donation is safe for you.
Donation
If you're approved and choose to continue, surgery is carefully planned by the transplant team.
2
3
Throughout the process, experienced transplant professionals guide your care—but every decision remains yours.
Recovery
Most donors don't just recover -- they thrive: back to work, family, travel, and the activities they love, with continued follow-up from the transplant team.
4
Myth: You need to be related to donate.
Fact: Many living donors are friends, spouses, coworkers, neighbors, or even compassionate strangers.
Myth: Donating a kidney means I won't be healthy again.
Fact: Â Donors go on to live full, active lives with one kidney. Many describe a new sense of gratitude and purpose.
Myth: I'll have to pay for the medical testing or surgery.
Fact: Allison's insurance covers the donor's medical evaluation, surgery, and hospital care.
Myth: Once I begin the process, I have to donate.
Fact: You may stop the evaluation process at any time. There is never any obligation to donate.
Common Myths About Living Donation
Only the transplant team can determine whether living donation is right for you.
The Kind of Person Who Says Yes
Researchers have studied living kidney donors for years, and they keep finding the same thing: donors are not saints or superheroes. They are ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of empathy, people who value a stranger's well-being the way most of us value family. They tend to be humble about it, seeing themselves simply as caregivers doing what needed to be done.
​
And here is the part worth knowing: the overwhelming majority of donors say the experience improved their lives - greater self-esteem, personal growth, and a deeper sense of purpose and connection.
If any of this sounds like you, you may already be closer to being someone's donor than you think.
Â
Still Have Questions?
You don't need to decide today. If you're simply curious, the transplant team is happy to answer your questions privately and confidentially.
​
Please Note
To be considered as Allison's living kidney donor, all donor
evaluations and donations must be completed through
the UF Health Living Donor Program.
Learn From Someone Else Who Said "Yes"
One of the best ways to understand living kidney donation is to hear directly from someone who chose to become a living donor.
This inspiring TEDx Talk shares one donor's personal experience, what they learned along the way, and
why they would make the same decision again.
Learning more never obligates you to become a donor.