Who can donate?

Written By Joelle Kanter

Here’s what we’ve learned:

  • A kidney donor must be at least 18 years old

  • They must be in excellent health: free from diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, and chronic infection

  • They must have stable mental health

  • They must have health insurance (although the recipient’s insurance covers medical costs)

Please visit the Transplant Center at Rhode Island Hospital’s website if you’re interested in next steps to becoming a living donor.

And for an overview of organ donation, read this article, You Can’t Take It With You, from the Warren Alpert Medical School’s Brown Health Discoveries magazine in winter 2024.

Joelle Kanter