The Kidney Donor

A kidney transplant can only happen when a kidney becomes available from a donor. Kidneys can come from two sources: living donors and cadaver donors .

• Living Donors
  Studies have shown that the longevity of kidneys taken from living donors is better than kidneys from cadaver donors. There are two designations for living donors: Living-Related and Living-Unrelated. more 

• Cadaver Donors
  If a living donation is not available to you, your name can be put on a waiting list for a kidney from someone who has recently passed away. These are healthy kidneys that are recovered from brain dead donors. The family of the person who has died donates the kidneys for transplant to give someone else the “gift of life.” more