Why donate?

• When you become a living kidney donor you offer a child or an adult in Western Massachusetts an alternative to waiting on the national transplant list for a kidney from a deceased donor

Currently, there are well over 1,400 children and adults waiting for kidney transplants in Massachusetts alone.

• If you make a living kidney donation, you will be donating one of your two healthy kidneys to replace a malfunctioning kidney in another person.  After the transplant surgery, both of you resume normal, active lives.

Considerations:

Deciding whether you want to be a living kidney donor involves careful consideration and can only be made by you without pressure from family, friends, or the recipient.

If you do decide to become a potential donor you must:

• be 18 years of age or older;
• have a blood type compatible with the recipient
• be genuinely willing to donate
• be physically fit and in good general health.

What to expect:

• Before you are accepted as a living donor, you will undergo a number of medical tests by our team to make sure that you are a suitable candidate.
  
  
• Baystate Medical Center has a living donor advocate who can address any concerns you may have about the donation.
  
  
• No cost to you as the donor for the required medical tests and surgery.
  
  
• Medicare typically covers the cost of the living donor's evaluation, testing and surgery.
  
  
• A Baystate Medical Center financial counselor is available to help answer all of your financial questions.