I Donated a Kidney, and You Should Too

It's a big deal for the recipient, but not for the donor: Jim Sollisch
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 19, 2012 12:15 PM CDT
I Donated a Kidney, and You Should Too
Kidney transplants can help those dealing with dialysis.   (Shutterstock)

"Most of us are walking around with a pretty impressive spare part," writes Jim Sollisch, one that 90,000 people are in the market for—a kidney. Sollisch is at 53% kidney function after donating his "spare part" to a co-worker, and will eventually hit 65%—only 50% is necessary. The process was relatively easy, his colleague—who now feels more like a sibling to him—is healthy, and for a month after the transplant, Sollisch was regarded as "a saint" in the office. So why don't more people donate a kidney?

Probably because they simply don't know anyone who's done it, Sollisch hypothesizes. He himself made the decision to donate partially because a friend and role model did it first. That's why he decided to write about his experience in the Wall Street Journal. "Now you know (well, kind of know) someone who has done it. Now you know that donating a kidney is not that big a deal"—to you, that is, especially as it's not too hard to be a match. But it's more than a big deal to the recipient, proving "that we humans come equipped with the means to affect the lives of those we love in so many ways." Click to read his compelling column. (More kidney stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X