Living-organ donation types
There are far more people in need of a transplant than there are organs available. As a living organ donor, you can donate an organ – or part of an organ – to another person.
Your organ donation not only saves lives, it also improves the quality of life for the recipient.
At VCU Health, donors can donate a kidney to a recipient with kidney disease. Donors are carefully selected, and live kidney donors can have long, healthy lives with one remaining kidney.
Donors can also donate a portion of their liver to a recipient with liver failure. Donors are carefully selected, and these donors can also have long, healthy lives. During a living-donor liver transplant a portion of the donor’s liver is removed and transplanted into the recipient. Somewhat miraculously, the liver grows to its original size and function in both the donor and recipient in generally four to six weeks.
If you donate part of an organ, the part that remains makes up for what’s gone. Living kidney and liver donors go on to live normal, healthy lives.
You can help:
- Shorten the wait for someone in need of a life-saving organ transplant
- Improve the chances of the recipient’s transplant success
For transplant recipients, learn how Hume-Lee has helped save countless transplant patient lives in Virginia and around the world.