The process of live kidney donation isn't painful, but it is time consuming. Doctors tell NewsChannel 5 it requires several physical and mental evaluations before you can you head into surgery. However, if you are donating to someone specific, making a living donation can help them faster than waiting for a deceased organ.
If you want to donate to someone in specific, you first must find out where they are registered.
In a story we first brought you Only on 5, 20-year-old Palm Beach Gardens resident Bobby Seelman is currently waiting for a kidney match. He is registered at The Miami Transplant Institute.
Once the paperwork is reviewed, someone from that center will reach out about the next step. That typically is getting a prescription for blood work to determine your blood type and any underlying illnesses.
The process can take several months to complete, but doctors and patients said the gift you're giving is truly life-changing.
“There are walking angels out there, I call them walking angels that want to donate a kidney,” said Delray Beach Medical Center doctor Dr. Stuart Himmelstein.
Doctors also said if you become a living donor and later learn you need a kidney, you're placed on top of any waiting list.
CLICK HERE to begin the process to help Bobby Seelman.
