Page 11 - More than a match

INTRODUCTION

hen I started writing, I was planning to just keep notes describing
Wmy living donation experience for me to look back on. Living
donation is where a living person donates a single kidney, a segment of

the liver, or part of a lung in order for a person to receive a life-saving
transplant. As I read, researched, and offered to become a living donor,
I was convinced that it was an amazing thing to do. But I also realised
the biggest obstacle that stopped most people from coming forward
as donors was fear. People were afraid the operation could go terribly
wrong; they were scared that in future their remaining kidney could be
damaged through illness or an accident, thus putting their own lives at

risk, and for many, the stakes were just too high.
My personal experiences as a potential donor lead me to write
this book for various reasons. First it was to give people an insight
into the practicalities of being a living kidney donor from a donor’s
perspective; this could make things easier for a person looking for a
donor for their life-saving transplant. I believe if you provide people
with the relevant information and real life situations, it would give
them a better understanding of the living donor process.
Second it was for people who have the desire to become a living

donor for a loved one but struggle with the potential risks involved

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