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Get insights on living kidney donor transplants, including the donation and transplant process, what to expect, and answers to common questions. Read powerful stories from recipients about finding a donor and how their transplant changed their lives.

Transplant Stories

My Kidney Transplant Story: Sandra Merritt

November 21, 2025

My kidney failure started in 2002, but I wasn’t told until 2011. In 2011 I got pretty sick—I couldn’t even get myself off the coach. I went to the ER and they thought I had meningitis, so they put me in the hospital. A doctor came in and said they did my test wrong: I didn’t have meningitis, but I was in kidney failure. I said, “What?” He told me to just call my regular doctor and walked out. I was crying so hard I couldn’t breathe. It took me a long time to get in to see somebody, so it was pretty stressful. My dad’s side of the family…

Will I Need a Caregiver After My Kidney Transplant?

November 14, 2025

If you’re preparing for a kidney transplant, you might be wondering about support in the days and weeks afterward. You will definitely need a caregiver after your kidney transplant, especially in the first few weeks. A caregiver can provide both practical and emotional support as you recover from major surgery. What Does a Caregiver Do After Your Transplant? After your transplant, your caregiver plays a crucial role in your recovery,…

The National Kidney Registry Announces New Microsite Center: Advocate Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center

November 19, 2025

The National Kidney Registry is pleased to welcome its newest microsite center: Advocate Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A total of 63 transplant centers nationwide now participate in the NKR’s Microsite Program. The Microsite Program provides free websites and coaching to transplant patients seeking a living donor to increase their chances of achieving a living donor transplant. To date, more than 1,130 microsite patients have received a…

After waiting years for a kidney, a WBZ journalist found his match in a coworker. “She’s giving me a part of her.”

November 11, 2025

After years of living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), WBZ-TV photographer Jared Higginbotham received a kidney from his coworker, Andrea Courtois, who secretly went through years of medical testing in hopes of being a match.