Who can donate an organ while alive?
Whether someone can become a living donor depends on several things. For example, age and health. You can read about the conditions for donating a kidney or part of your liver here.
Conditions for donating a kidney or part of a liver
The Organ Donation Act (Wod) contains rules that someone must meet to be allowed to donate while alive. These conditions are the same in all hospitals in the Netherlands.
You may only donate a kidney or part of your liver while alive if you:
- are 18 years or older and can clearly express your wishes
- choose to donate yourself and do not receive money or gifts for it
- are healthy and in good physical condition
- do not have any (hereditary) disease that could cause problems later if you are missing a kidney or part of your liver
- are not pregnant
- do not have a blood disease, liver or kidney disease, or blood clotting problems
Age for living donation
There is no maximum age for donating a kidney while alive. The hospital carefully assesses whether an older donor is healthy enough for the surgery. Specialists also check whether that person can live well with one kidney. An adult donor can give a kidney to another adult, but also to a child. A 1 or 2-year-old child can already receive a kidney from an adult.
There is an age limit for donating part of the liver. You must not be older than 60 years.
Psychological and physical examinations
Someone who meets the requirements and would like to donate while alive can register at a transplant hospital. There, the potential donor will receive more information or an introductory meeting. A specialist who knows a lot about living donation will then explain how it works and can answer questions.
Not everyone who meets the legal requirements can actually donate. The transplant hospital investigates whether the donor is healthy enough to donate. And whether the donor can handle the emotions associated with donation. We call this a screening. The screening can take a few weeks. Only then is it certain whether someone can donate.
Change your decision at any time
The donor may choose at any time not to donate a kidney or part of the liver after all. This can even be done just before the surgery.
Stories about living donation
'When she said she wanted to be a donor, I went completely silent'
Baby Ziva urgently needed a liver transplant. Her aunt came to the rescue and donated a piece of her liver.
'With the transplant, Lorenzo was born again'
Baby Lorenzo is alive thanks to a liver donation from a living donor.
'Sometimes I am desperate, because maybe I won't make it'
Ambar is waiting. She lives in a no-man's-land, hoping for the solution: a new donor kidney.