Giving life through the Living Donor Program

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chris Drzazgowski
  • 355th Fighter Wing public affairs
As Airmen, it is our responsibility to help each other, as well as our civilian counterparts from day to day. But what if the need was greater than something as simple as a ride to work? What if it was as great as a kidney donation?

Located in Sacramento, Calif., The University of California Davis Transplant Center's Living Donor Program provides an avenue for people to present live kidney donations for those awaiting transplant.

The process of living donation consists of transplanting a kidney from a healthy individual into a person with kidney failure. Donors can be either family members or friends.

Some of the benefits of live donation as opposed to non-living are that living donation maximizes the chance for a recipient to receive a transplant before the need of dialysis, live donor kidneys last twice as long and have an average life of 20 years.

Pending compatibility of the donor and recipient, and further medical evaluations, the transplant can be scheduled for a mutually convenient time instead of in the event of an emergency.

Upon successful procedure, the process can free the recipient from dialysis and adds years to their life.

Whether it's donating an organ, or simply giving someone a ride to work, if able, we are all expected to help each other in some way or another during times of need.

For more information about becoming a living donor, you can visit UC Davis Transplant Center's website at http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/transplant/ or contact them at (916) 734-2111.