Types of Living Donations

There are a number of types of living donations, including:

• Related:  donors are blood relatives of the recipient including brothers, sisters, parents, children (over 18 years of age), aunts, uncles, cousins, half brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.
  
  
• Non-Related:  donors are emotionally close to the recipient, but not related by blood, including spouses, in-laws, close friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
  
  
• Non-Directed: donors are not related to or known by the recipient, but make their donation purely out of selfless motives.
  
  
• Paired Donation:  two recipients who are not compatible with their donors, exchange donors so that each recipient can receive a compatible kidney.
  
  
• Kidney Donor/Wait List Exchange:  an option for incompatible living donors and recipients that is determined by transplant testing.