John Treantos needs one kidney.
John is [AGE], lives in Omaha, and has been on dialysis since [YEAR]. A kidney from a living donor would give him years that dialysis can't.
Takes about 10 minutes. It goes to the transplant team at Nebraska Medicine, not to John — he won't know you filled it out unless you tell him. Also available in Spanish.
About John
[STORY paragraph 1 — who John is. His work, his family, what he does with his time. Keep it concrete and specific.]
[STORY paragraph 2 — how his kidney disease started and what dialysis costs him each week in hours and energy.]
[STORY paragraph 3 — what a transplant would let him do again.]
What donating involves
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You keep one kidney and it does the work of two
The remaining kidney grows and takes over most of the lost function. Most donors live a normal lifespan.
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Keyhole surgery, not open surgery
Usually one or two nights in the hospital, then two to four weeks before you're back to desk work. Longer if your job is physical.
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You don't pay for the medical side
The evaluation, surgery and donation follow-up are billed to John's insurance, not yours. Travel and lost wages are the gap, and the National Living Donor Assistance Center reimburses many donors for exactly those.
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You can stop at any point
Right up to the morning of surgery. Every donor gets an independent advocate at the transplant center whose only job is your interests, and the team will give a medical reason for any cancellation so you never have to explain yourself.
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A mismatch still helps John
If you aren't compatible with him, you can donate to a stranger who matches you and John receives a kidney through a paired exchange chain. Nebraska Medicine runs more of these chains than almost any hospital in the country, so blood type is not a dead end.
Who can donate
Nebraska Medicine's basic requirements for a living kidney donor:
- At least 19 years old
- In generally good health
- No major chronic conditions such as diabetes
- Not a smoker
- Over 65 is considered case by case
If you're unsure whether something rules you out, fill out the form anyway and let the living donor team screen you — that's what they ask people to do. Plenty of people disqualify themselves for something the team would have worked around.
Read more before you decide
- Common questions about living organ donation Nebraska Medicine's own FAQ — eligibility, recovery, risks.
- Why become a living donor Overview of the program and how paired donation works.
- Living donor FAQ (PDF) Printable — good for handing to family.
- Nebraska Medicine kidney transplant program Running since 1970.
- National Living Donor Assistance Center Reimbursement for travel, lodging and lost wages.
- Call the transplant center: 800.401.4444 You can ask anything without giving your name.