Living Organ Donors: Consciously Helping Others to Live

What are Living Organ Donors? They are truly a rare and amazing breed of people. It is hard to fathom the selfless act of someone willing to take potential health risks to donate an organ while still living. Most often these living organ donations are for a friend or family member. However, donors can also choose a stranger as the recipient. Offering to donate your organs as part of a Living Will is also an exceptional act. And, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), 2023 saw a total of 23,289 donors, living and deceased. This led to 46,630 transplants that saved and improved the quality of life for 46,630 recipients. Yet, as wonderful as those numbers are, there is still work to be done. There are 103,874 people who need lifesaving transplants.

GrantWatch wants to be part of the effort to honor organ donors, both living and deceased, for their tremendous personal sacrifice on behalf of others. GrantWatch also provides a list of grant opportunities to aid in improving the quality of life amongst communities throughout the U.S. In addition, GrantWatch offers a list of over 1,300 grants in its Quality of Life grants listing category. Beyond that, GrantWatch also has national and international grant listings to choose from.

A Quick Peek at the Particulars

Living donors represent a small percentage of organ transplantation, but the impact is huge. By donating an organ or part of an organ—most commonly a kidney or a portion of the liver—these compassionate individuals make thousands of life-saving transplants possible each year. To become a living donor, you have to be in good overall physical and mental health. In addition, you must be over 18 years of age, and free from medical conditions like uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, certain infections, and certain psychiatric conditions. Potential donors must be fully informed of the known risks involved, undergo a thorough medical and psychosocial evaluation, and make their decision to donate completely voluntarily, free from any pressure or guilt. Living donors may be relatives, friends, or even anonymous volunteers who help to reduce wait times for patients and provide a hopeful solution for those in need of a transplant. For more information, visit the UNOS patient website, Transplant Living.

A Quick Look at Benefits and Risks

• Benefits for the Recipient: Quality of life | Increased life span | Shorter waiting time | Better results | Kidneys and Livers function almost immediately
• Benefits for the Living Donor: Positive emotional experiences | More time with your loved ones | The knowledge that your act saved another human being
• Benefits for BOTH the Recipient and the Living Donor: Flexible time frame | Removes a candidate from the list | Immediate impact
• Living Donation Myths: Living donation does not change the life expectancy of donor | The donor and recipient do not have to have the same blood type
• Recovery Time: For kidney donors, recovery time is typically short (two to six weeks) | Liver donors typically need a minimum of two months.
• Living Donation Impacts/Risks: Although transplantation is highly successful, complications for the donor and recipient can arise. Make sure to check out 17 Common Myths and Concerns about living donation. Be sure to talk to your doctor about what to expect. (americantransplantfoundation.org, “Living Donor Donation: Benefits and Risks)

Please note: this information is only a brief summary of the extensive information and detail involved in living organ donation. Further discussion with medical professionals is strongly advised.

Below is a current list of available organ donation-related grant funding opportunities and/or projects to enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities.

Grants for Organ Donation and Projects to Enhance Quality of Life

1. Grants of $60,000 yearly to researchers for kidney disease studies and organ donation. Funding is for research of organ donation and nephrology, including clinical, health services, social, cultural, environmental, and population health research.
2. In addition, grants to eligible nonprofits for impactful programs that enhance the quality of life for local residents. Focus areas include education and community-vitality. Priority is for programs serving low to moderate-income families and underrepresented populations.
3. Grants to eligible nonprofits for programs to enhance/preserve human life. Program areas include education, workplace safety, end-of-life planning and care, and community development.
4. There are grants of up to $3,000 to eligible nonprofits to improve the quality of life in local communities. Proposal focus areas will include the elderly, the disabled, and the family.
5. Also, grants to eligible nonprofits and civic organizations, schools, and groups for a wide range of programs addressing the needs of local community/resident needs. Funding supports initiatives in focus areas including health and human services, economic and community vitality, and education and youth development.
6. Funding to research investigators for studies related to preeclampsia. The purpose is to discover alternative methods of treating severe preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
7. A grant to a nonprofit or for-profit organization for an outstanding initiative that will solve a current critical problem. Proposal categories are unlimited.
8. Lastly, there are grants of up to $10,000 to educators, high school and college students, and individuals for projects to help make the world a better place. Certain applicants will register online prior to applying. Funding is for the development or implementation of established projects, products, or nonprofits that contribute to world betterment.

The Bottom Line

To conclude, we hope you now have a better appreciation for the selfless acts of those willing to provide living organ donations!

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Please Note: There is no guarantee by GrantWatch nor the author of grant awards as a result of this information.