Living Donation | Be A Donor

Living Kidney Donation

An organ transplant is considered the best treatment for end stage kidney disease.

The types of living kidney donation are:

Directed Donation: Donate a kidney to someone who you know needs a transplant.
Kidney Paired Donation: If you are not a match with the person you want to donate to, you can join a national program through Canadian Blood Services. Donors are matched across multiple pairs, sometimes creating a chain of transplants, so you can help multiple people find a compatible kidney, including your recipient.
Non-Directed Anonymous Donation: Donate a kidney to someone as part of a paired donation, in your local transplant program, or to a person in need at the top of Ontario’s transplant waiting list.

Risks and Recovery

Not all transplants are successful.
Most kidney donations are done using keyhole surgery (small cuts instead of a large cut).
Donors need to be in good health. The donor and the person receiving the kidney each have their own care team. The living donor program checks each donor carefully to make sure it is safe for them to donate.
The evaluation requires multiple visits to the hospital and how long it takes can vary based on the patient and living donor program.
Recovery takes approximately 6-8 weeks.
Although there is a reimbursement program for costs associated with donation (PRELOD), not all expenses may be covered.

To be a living kidney donor in Ontario:

You must be at least 18 years old (there is no strict upper age limit for donating in Canada if the donor is in good health).
You must not have certain diseases, for example:
- kidney disease
- heart disease, or must not have had a heart attack, or stroke in the past
- cancer (other than mild skin cancer) that has not been cured
You must not be pressured or paid by anyone to donate your kidney.
Meeting the basic requirements is just the first step. Living donor programs review each potential donor carefully to make sure donation is safe and appropriate.

BALJINDER

Baljinder's husband had been on dialysis for about a year and she spent most of this time undergoing tests as part of the living donor evaluation process. She later found that she was the perfect candidate to give her husband the greatest gift...

Learn about Baljinder’s story

The impact on her husband was immediate and meaningful. After the transplant, his health improved significantly. Within six months, he was even able to travel again, something that had not been possible while he was on dialysis. - Baljinder, Living Donor

The Steps of Kidney Donation are:

You will have surgery to remove your kidney.
Your surgery will be planned based on operating room availability and what works best for you and the person getting your kidney.
Your stay in hospital after the surgery will be between 2-3 days if there are not complications.
Your living donor care team will explain what to expect during recovery and what happens next.

Program Information

University Health Network – Toronto General Hospital
- Phone: 416-340-5400
- E-mail: livingorgandonation@uhn.ca
Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael’s Hospital
- Phone: 416-867-3676
- E-mail: LiveDonorTeam@smh.ca
Hospital for Sick Children – Toronto *Please contact the team at University Health Network – Toronto General to be evaluated as a living donor on behalf of a child at Hospital for Sick Children.
London Health Sciences Centre
- Phone: 519-663-3552
- E-mail: livingkidneydonation@lhsc.on.ca
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
- Phone: 905-522-1155 ext. 32156
- E-mail: livingdonors@stjoes.ca
Kingston Health Sciences Centre
- Phone: 613-549-6666 ext. 67028
The Ottawa Hospital – Riverside Campus
- Phone: 613-738-8400 ext. 82719
- E-mail: livingkidneydonor@toh.ca

If you know a person who needs a kidney transplant, you can talk to them and contact the living donor program at the hospital where they are receiving transplant care.

If you would like to become a non-directed anonymous donor, contact a living donor program closest to you for more information.

You're surrounded by a team that looks after you as if you were royalty, and you get to witness the incredible impact your gift has on someone's life. - Ricardo, Living Donor

Ricardo

When Ricardo discovered his brother-in-law needed a kidney transplant, he and his family did not hesitate to step forward. “How can you not try?” Ricardo recalls, describing the moment he and his wife decided to pursue living donation, despite knowing little about transplants.

Learn about Ricardo's story

Additional Resources

Program for Reimbursing Expenses of Living Organ Donors (PRELOD) provides reimbursement to living organ donors and potential living organ donors for eligible out-of-pocket expenses and lost income during the assessment and surgery periods of the organ donation process.
Transplant Ambassador Program - Transplant Ambassadors are kidney transplant recipients or living kidney donors who welcome the opportunity to share their personal experiences with you, to help guide you through your kidney journey.
Kidney Foundation Peer Support Program - is an opportunity for people affected by kidney disease to talk to others who’ve been there too. The program is free, confidential, and is there to help anyone touched by kidney disease.

Living Liver Donation

Living donor liver transplantation occurs when a healthy individual donates a portion of their liver to a person with end-stage liver disease. The donor’s remaining liver regenerates and within 12 weeks after the surgery the remaining liver grows back.

To be a Living Liver Donor:

You must be between the ages of 16 and 60 years old (18-55 for London Health Sciences Centre) and donate voluntarily.
You must not have:
- diabetes or other long-term, chronic illness
- recent history of cancer (other than mild skin cancer)
- BMI greater than 35 kg/m2
- history of heart bypass surgery, heart attack, cardiac stents or a stroke.
- history of active hepatitis B or C
- HIV infection
- current alcohol or substance use disorder

Risks and Recovery

Not all transplants are successful.
Liver donation is a major operation; though living donors are in good health, there are risks related to having surgery. The donor team will talk to you about the risks involved.
The evaluation requires multiple visits to the hospital and how long it takes can vary based on the patient and living donor program.
Recovery takes at least 6 weeks.
Although there is a reimbursement program for costs associated with donation (PRELOD), not all expenses may be covered.

STÉPHANE

Towards the end of 2024, Stéphane noticed a post in the Ottawa area about a friend of a friend in need of a liver transplant. He submitted his information and offered to donate, he wasn’t a match for the intended recipient, but he was a match for an 11-year-old child...

Learn about Stéphane’s story

Ordinary people can do these extraordinary things! - Stéphane, Living Donor

The Steps of Liver Donation are:

Complete UHN’s Living Donor Health History Form or download to complete offline. Those affiliated with LHSC must contact the Recipient Coordinator who is working with your family member or friend.
Submit completed form and include confirmation of your blood type (copy of blood donor card or lab results).
Review the transplant program’s living donor guide (UHN - Living Donor Manual, LHSC – Donation Handbook).
You will be contacted once your health history form has been reviewed.

You will have your first appointment with a donor team doctor and donor coordinator and undergo several tests including serology, ECG, and chest X-ray.
Consultations may occur for specific health issues identified in the candidate’s application.
Imaging and tests may include MRI, CT, echocardiogram, exercise stress test and/or pulmonary function test.
Additionally, you will meet with a social worker, an independent medical team, and an anesthesiologist.
Depending on your results, you may have to meet other healthcare professionals and go through other tests.

Your donor team will review all test results and talk to you about whether donating a part of your liver is right for you.
You may become a liver donor if all required tests and consultations have been completed, and you have met and talked with all members of the donor team who are involved in your evaluation.
Donor safety is top priority. The donor assessment process will not be compromised even if the recipient is very sick.

You will be admitted to the hospital the morning of your operation (usually at 6:00 am). Your surgery will be performed during the day.
This operation lasts about 5 to 8 hours, and the hospital stay is usually 5 to 7 days.
Your living donor care team will explain what to expect during recovery and what happens next.

You will have several follow-up appointments after your surgery has been completed.
After you leave the hospital, you can reach out via phone, email, or online portal anytime.
At 2 weeks post-op, you will receive a follow-up call. If you are feeling well, you will have a virtual call with the surgeon at 1 month, and the medical director at 3 months.
Following your 3-month check-up appointment, you will have yearly liver check-ups through blood tests. These annual check ups may be conducted by your transplant physician or your family doctor depending on your circumstances.

Program Information

University Health Network (UHN)
UHN Living Liver Donor Program

Phone: 416 340 4800 ext. 6581
Email: livingdonorliver@uhn.ca

London Health Science Centre (LHSC)
LHSC Living Liver Donation Program

Phone: 519 685 8500 ext. 33552
Email: livingliverdonation@lhsc.on.ca

Additional Resources

Program for Reimbursing Expenses of Living Organ Donors (PRELOD) provides reimbursement to living organ donors and potential living organ donors for eligible out-of-pocket expenses and lost income during the assessment and surgery periods of the organ donation process.

To learn more about being a living donor, click here