Thinking about being a living donor?

Speak to the Living Donor Advocate at your local transplant hospital for independent advice about the risks of donation, the screening process, recovery issues, and how to make an informed decision. Donation is voluntary; you cannot sell your organ -- it's a gift.

The donor screening process is generally long -- it is not rushed in order to protect the safety and welfare of living donors.

Can Jews donate their organs?

Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life) is the supreme Jewish value and greatest mitzvah, taking precedence over almost every other religious act or consideration, including Shabbat observance. For information about living kidney and liver donation, consult with Renewal. For information about deceased donation, consult with Ematai.

Is organ donation haram?

No. More information is available here.

What about liver transplants for alcoholic liver disease?

Donor livers are very scarce and surgeons generally transplant patients with proven alcohol abstinence and rehabilitation, and low risk of relapse. These are patients who demonstrate a therapeutic alliance with the transplant team. MELD score is also relevant to determining the patient's capacity to benefit from a liver transplant.

What's the fastest way to get an organ transplant?

In USA, multiple listing can help patients awaiting transplant to potentially have more access to organs by being placed on multiple waiting lists. This requires patients to be immediately available to arrive at any of the wait-listed hospitals within a short travel time.

Having a living donor available (kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, intestine) can often be faster than waiting for a deceased donation and the outcomes are often better. Try using the DONOR app on your smartphone to find a living kidney or liver donor. Prof Bramstedt was a co-creator of the DONOR app and research has shown that use of the app significantly increases the chances of finding a living donor.

If you want to find out which hospitals in USA have the shortest waiting times for organ transplantation, check out this website. Waiting times, waitlist size, and other variables can be explored.

Ethics matters. Don't buy or sell human organs.