The name of what the initiative is, here (I had a name, it might have been really good, have to figure out what)
In Canada, there are over 4000 men, women & children who are currently waiting for a life-saving organ donation. In the United States of America, that number is over 100,000.
A lot of the conversations around organ donation are for when an individual dies. But as someone with a brother who has been fighting Stage 4 Liver Cirrhosis for over two years, I’ve learned a lot about how someone can be a living organ donor & be able to give the gift of life to someone else, at a low risk to themselves.
LIVE ON: Real Stories of Living Liver Donors and Recipients (October 2019)
A Story on CTV about a Living Liver Donor in Toronto + The Ajmera Transplant Centre (Courtesy of Bell Media (November 2024)
What are the benefits of a living-donor liver transplant?
There are many benefits of living liver donation, including:
Living donor transplant helps save the lives of people with end-stage liver disease. Furthermore, it increases the number of livers available for people on the transplant waiting list.
Living-liver donors can feel good knowing that they've had a huge impact on another person's life.
Living liver donors and transplant recipients can schedule surgery at a time that works for both people.
Flexible scheduling allows the transplant to occur sooner. This can save valuable time spent on the liver transplant waitlist and reduce the risk that the recipient’s liver disease will get worse.
Because they are receiving a portion of a healthy donor's liver, recipients typically have improved long-term outcomes and quicker recovery times.
Living liver donors, for example, do not typically experience any serious long-term complications, in part because the liver is unique among the body’s organs in its ability to regenerate. After giving part of one’s liver, it will eventually return to close to its original size. The most rapid regeneration occurs in the first six weeks after surgery—during this time, the liver typically returns to about 80 percent of its original size.
Girl receives lifesaving kidney during pandemic, thanks to former babysitter (May 2023)
Celebrating 100 Anonymous Living Liver Donors at Toronto General Hospital | GiveLifeUHN (March 2022)
What are the benefits of a living-donor kidney transplant?
Recipients on the transplant waiting list who do not have a living donor themselves move up the transplant waiting list once the recipient of the living donor kidney is removed from the list. In this way other people waiting for a kidney transplant also benefit from a living donation.
A transplanted kidney from a living donor often lasts longer. This is partly because time can be taken to do the necessary tests to get a better tissue match between donor and recipient, with less of a risk of organ rejection.
The kidney is usually healthier. The kidney from a living donor is usually healthier than an organ from a deceased donor and may last longer: 15 to 20 years on average,
The kidney functions right away. A kidney from a living donor usually functions in the recipient from the time it is transplanted.
The recepient may avoid the need for dialysis.
Long term, the risks for a living kidney donor to experience any complications is very low. Issues surrounding an elevated blood pressure or diabetes will have to be monitored.
The risk for a living kidney donor to develop kidney failure is generally considered to be less than 1%.
How You Can Help Save Someone’s Life By Being A Living Liver or Kidney Donor
In Canada, there are over 4000 men, women & children who are currently waiting for a life-saving organ donation. In the United States of America, that number is over 100,000.
A lot of the conversations around organ donation are for when an individual dies. But as someone with a brother who has been fighting Stage 4 Liver Cirrhosis for over two years, I’ve learned a lot about how someone can be a living organ donor & be able to give the gift of life to someone else, at a low risk to themselves.
What are the benefits of a living-donor liver transplant?
You may know someone right now that you care for a great deal who is requiring of living donor transplant surgery to live. In a matter of weeks, you can save their life. And you don’t have to know someone to be a donor – you can simply sign up to be tested & if you feel compelled to save someone, you’ll be matched with the right individual.
If you’re interested in being a living liver or kidney donor to someone in Canada or the United States of America, but don’t know where to start and need some help, simply message me in the form below. You do not need to share your name - just an email address and the province or state you’re living in, or asking about, and I’ll send you an email with all the information you need to get started, so that you can ask the right people the questions you need answered. You won’t be put on any mailing list and if for some reason, you’re interested in being tested to be a living liver donor to my brother Salim, just email me at rahim@viciousminuteshour.com.
What you’ll receive:
22 minute mark - extract that part?