Living organ donation offers a life‑changing gift for people waiting on kidney and liver transplants. With thousands on waitlists nationwide, donors can shorten wait times, prevent long stretches on dialysis, and give someone a chance to heal sooner. Learn how living donation works and why it matters.
Author: Chad
Chad is a writer, kidney‑transplant recipient, and long‑time Type 1 diabetic who tells the truth about chronic illness with honesty, hope, and a little humor. After eighteen months on peritoneal dialysis and a life‑changing transplant from his donor Jeff, he now uses his story to help others feel less alone in theirs. His blog blends lived experience, faith, and practical insight for anyone navigating kidney disease, diabetes, or the long road between diagnosis and healing. When he’s not advocating for organ donation or demystifying the medical maze, he’s cheering on others walking their own hard paths — one real, human moment at a time.
The Kidney Collective Podcast
The Kidney Collective™, a podcast launched by AKF in August 2025 gives an intimate voice to the many facets of living with kidney disease.
Did you know?
A personal look at the ten things I wish I had known before kidney failure, shared through real experiences that reveal the hope, complexity, and humanity behind kidney disease.
Easter and my kidney transplant
A personal reflection on Easter, grace, and the life‑altering gift of a kidney transplant. This is the story of two donors, one cross‑match chain, and the kind of love you can never repay. Only receive.
A Stunt to Raise Awareness
Brazilian businessman Chiquinho Scarpa shocked the world by announcing he would bury his Bentley, only to turn the moment into a powerful call for organ donation.
National Donate Life Month
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) was established by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003. Observed in April each year, National Donate Life Month helps raise awareness about donation, encourages Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.
Medical Illiteracy
A look at how confusing medical language can leave patients feeling lost, and how small acts of courage can help us reclaim clarity in our own care.
When the Donor Match Isn’t Perfect, a Chain Can Be
A personal look at how paired kidney donation creates life-changing connections. This is the story of how a transplant chain made my second chance possible, and how one yes can ripple through countless lives.
World Kidney Day (March 12, 2026)
World Kidney Day raises global awareness about kidney health, encourages early detection, and promotes prevention and treatment of kidney disease worldwide.
Things I Thought Were Big Deals Before I Needed a Kidney
A look back at the minor frustrations I once treated as some sort of crisis and how kidney failure changed my sense of what truly matters.
Driven to Save Lives (Documentary)
Driven to Save Lives follows the people who step forward to donate an organ and the families whose futures depend on their courage. The film traces the hope, fear, and determination that shape every decision to give someone a second chance.
Things People Say to Kidney Transplant Recipients
A candid, humorous look at the things people say to kidney transplant recipients and the honest thoughts we keep to ourselves. Equal parts truth, comedy, and lived experience.
March is National Kidney Month
Kidney disease is the fastest-growing noncontagious disease in the U.S., yet it remains underrecognized and awareness about its severity is low. Learn more about kidney disease through the voices of those who live with it, and those who are fighting to prevent it.
Confessions of a Good Samaritan (Documentary)
Confessions of a Good Samaritan follows filmmaker Penny Lane as she documents her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger, blending personal storytelling with a thoughtful exploration of the science, ethics, and emotional complexity of altruism.
Universal Chronic Kidney Disease Screening?
With the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the rise, is it time to consider universal screening, or continue with a targeted strategy to prioritize high-risk populations?
Combo #2: Peritoneal Dialysis and Diabetes
What happens when one chronic condition becomes two? This is the story of learning to live between insulin pumps and dialysis tubing, between fear and faith, and discovering a resilience I didn’t know I had.
Donating a Kidney: Jesse Eisenberg’s Story
Actor Jesse Eisenberg shares why he chose altruistic kidney donation at NYU Langone, where exceptional outcomes and compassionate care help inspire more people to become living donors.
Sidney’s Yelp Review
A transplanted kidney posts an honest and darkly funny real estate report on its new home, rating everything from the previous tenants to the move‑in chaos, daily amenities, donor heroes, and the ever‑watchful immune system.
Importance of Self-Care Post-Kidney Transplant
A kidney transplant changed my days into a practice of vigilance, gratitude, and self‑care. This is the story of how lab visits, pillboxes, boundaries, and small daily choices became the partnership that keeps my donated kidney safe.
My Experience at the Kidney Dialysis Clinic
A reflection on the people inside a dialysis clinic who carried me through eighteen months of treatment, one conversation, one night, and one act of care at a time.