Living Kidney Donor Program

Living Kidney Donor Program Overview

The Living Kidney Donor Program is part of the Multi-Organ Transplant Program (MOTP). A "living donation" occurs when a person who is alive donates a kidney to someone with end-stage kidney disease. Donor compatibility is established through blood tests that look for matching blood types and antigens. The overall health of the potential donor is also of critical importance.

Who can be a Live Donor?

A living kidney donor could be a spouse, family member, friend, co-worker or stranger.

Donors must be:

• Older than 19 years of age
• A healthy weight for their height
• In good health without diabetes, cancer, kidney or heart disease
• Willing to freely donate
• Have a Family Doctor

There are three ways to be a Living Kidney Donor

• By donating a kidney directly to a friend or relative.
• By donating in the Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) Program - when the donor and recipient are not compatible they may decide to participate in KPD, in which you are matched with another donor/recipient pair in a similar situation.
• By donating a kidney anonymously. This is known as a non-directed donation, which means that your kidney may be given to anyone on the transplant list.

How do I become a donor?

If you are interested in being assessed as a potential living donor, pleasecontact the Live Kidney Donor Coordinator:

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
902-473-5501
Cape Breton only *** 902-567-2839

New Brunswick
Bathurst - 506-544-3567
Moncton - 506-869-2441
Saint John - 506-648-6968

Newfoundland
Corner Brook - 709-784-6190
St. John's - 709-777-3601

Living Donation Resources

Kidney Scan
Giving a Kidney - English
Programme de transplantation rénale avec donneur vivant
Kidney Biopsy
Your Kidney Transplant
La greffe de rein
Kidney Removal (Open Nephrectomy)
Laparoscopic Kidney Removal (Nephrectomy)
Hepatitis B Vaccine and Kidney Disease
Acute Hemodialysis
The C.A.P.D. Diet
Diet For Kidney Disease
High Phosphorus Foods To Limit Or Avoid
Kidney Diet

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Kidney Anatomy