A California newlywed donated a kidney to her new husband who lost his first kidney transplant, which he had received from his brother 13 years earlier when his own kidneys failed. Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to be transplanted into a loved one in need. The living donor is most often a close family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister. A living donor can also be a more distant family member, spouse or friend. The organ most commonly given by a living donor is the kidney.
People usually have two kidneys, and one is all that is needed to live a normal life.
Parts of other organs including the lung, liver and pancreas have also been transplanted from living donors. First, since the living kidney donor is usually a close relative of the person getting the transplant, there is a better match and less chance of rejection. Second, the transplant can be scheduled ahead of time, something that cannot be done when the patient is on a waiting list for a cadaveric kidney. Third, kidneys that come from living donors begin to function immediately after the transplant, while cadaveric kidneys may take several days or weeks before they begin to function normally. Acceptable living donors are usually between 18 and 60 years of age and are often close relatives of the intended recipient.