A living donor kidney transplant means that the donor kidney comes from a living person. Such a person, who volunteers to donate a kidney, is generally a brother, sister, parent, close friend, child or spouse of the person with kidney disease. The donor needs to have a close personal relationship with the recipient. A living donor kidney transplant must be seen as a ‘no strings attached gift’ to the recipient. It is against the law to purchase or sell a kidney for transplantation. Much more detail on the process of becoming a living kidney donor is available HERE – we will add link to Thinking About Donating A Kidney?’
If you have a living donor willing to donate a kidney to you, but they are not a match because of blood group or antibody reasons – there are alternate transplant options to consider. The best option to consider would be to enter into the UKs kidney sharing scheme programme with others pairs in a similar situation. We currently refer our living donor incompatible pairs to Belfast City Hospital. For more information on this programme please see HERE (we will add link to information for irish patients on the UKs kidney sharing scheme.
The living donors’ medical workup and educational support will be facilitated in Beaumont Hospital and once medically suitable both the donor/recipient will be referred to the UK centre for further assessment and enrolment into the programme.
This is where your donor donates their kidney to a compatible recipient and that recipient’s donor gives you their kidney. This depends on both kidneys being matched and suitable for transplantation.
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