What's the Difference? Living vs. Deceased Kidney Donors 

LIVING KIDNEY DONORS

DECEASED KIDNEY DONORS

A living kidney donor elects to give his or her kidney to someone with end stage renal disease (ESRD)

A deceased kidney donor allowed his or her usable organs to be taken from their body at their death

A kidney donor's life expectancy is not decreased

Demand for kidneys outweighs the supply (more than 99,000 people on waitlist)

Kidney will likely last longer compared to one from a deceased donor

It can be difficult to find a living donor (6K deceased donations vs. 3.7K living donations in 2016)

Transplant can typically occur much sooner

Length of time on waitlist varies based on several factors UNOS manages, including genetic compatibility with donors, health status and available donors

Know someone who would like to donate a kidney? Visit the National Kidney Registry to start the process.

Want to become an organ donor? Visit OrganDonor.gov to sign up.

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