Kidney transplant candidates may receive a kidney from a living donor. Living donors can include friends, relatives or someone unrelated with a compatible blood type. Living donors may also donate to an anonymous candidate on the national waiting list.
In Hawaii, nearly 400 people are waiting for a transplant, but each year, only a small percentage of candidates will receive a kidney due to the shortage of donors. Patients in Hawai‘i wait on dialysis for an average of 5 years. Living donors can make a difference and allow a friend or relative to get off of dialysis.
