In 2007, my step-dad was told that he would need a kidney transplant. Many of us were tested as donors but either we were the wrong blood type or had health issues ourselves. In 2008, the transplant hospital told our family about the Alliance for Paired Donation. Kidney paired donation matches one incompatible donor/recipient pair to another pair in the same situation, so that the donor of the first pair gives to the recipient of the second, and vice versa. In other words, the two pairs swap kidneys . So even though I was not the same blood type as my step-dad, through the Alliance for Paired Donation, I might still be able to donate a kidney for him. This gave our family much needed hope. We signed up for the program through the transplant hospital. All the testing I needed to do to determine if I was a viable donor was done through my primary care physician. About 9 months later, we received the long awaited call that there was a match. On August 23, 2009, I flew to Augusta, GA to donate my kidney to a man I had never met. At the same time, his wife flew to Denver, Co to donate her kidney to my step-dad. The surgeries occurred at the exact same time. What a miracle! My kidney has been going strong in it's new home now for 3 years giving a family a new life. Soon after the transplant, I started volunteering for the Alliance for Paired Donation helping others in our situation by directing them to the transplant hospitals that participate in the program. I also was able to share my story and give them first hand experience as to what to expect. Through paired donation, APD is able to shorten the wait for a kidney transplant and offer many families hope.
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- EIN 20-5196689
- admin@paireddonation.org
- (419) 866-5505
- PO Box 965 Perrysburg OH 43552 USA
- http://www.paireddonation.org
- paireddonation
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Health, Hospitals, Kidney Diseases, Kidney Diseases Research
Mission: The purpose of the organization includes, but is not limited to: (1) to function as a source of funds for work in the area of kidney paired donation; (2) to provide assistance to transplant recipients and their living donors, including but not limited to help with medications and rent; (3) to fund transplant-related research and encourage the professionals involved in kidney transplants; (4) to act as a charitable or educational organization as defined under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended; and (5) to receive and administer funds and pay them over to other organizations that are exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the code.
Target demographics: The mission of the APKD is to save lives by securing a living donor kidney transplant for every patient who needs one.
Geographic areas served: United States and across the world.
Programs: To establish a universal system to pair willing living kidney donors with those needing kidney transplants, thus increasing the number of living donor kidney transplants, and to provide assistance to donors for their travel and transportation expenses and/or arrangements.