ALIVE!

(From my booklet, for informational purposely only, and esp because someone asked me why not wait til I die if I want to donate so badly)

What are the advantages to using a living donor?
-The person with unhealthy kidneys does not need to wait for an organ from the transplant list. This can take 5 years or longer. Many people die before they receive an organ from the list.
-A living donor transplant takes the patient off the list, which shortens the wait for everyone else on the list.
-The person with kidney disease may get a transplant before having to go on dialysis. Dialysis harms the patient's health, restricts his or her diet and causes and great deal of stress to the whole family.
-The kidney is placed in the patient as soon as it is removed fromt he living donor. IT goes without a blood supply for only a short time. This iproves the chances that the kidney will work the way it should. A kidney from someone who has died must be stored for several hours before it is transplanted.
-The transplant can be done when both the donor and the patent are in the best physical and emotional health possible. If patients have sugery when they are very sick, the transplant is less likely to be successful.

The end. I can't wait til tomorrow! Having experiences are FUN!