Without a living donor transplant, Liam’s kidneys will fail, and he will need dialysis to survive. Dialysis replaces some basic kidney functions, but it does not stop the underlying disease and does not prevent ongoing harm to the heart and blood vessels. Long-term survival on dialysis is limited, and most experience significant declines in energy, independence, and overall quality of life.

A transplant from a living donor, especially before starting dialysis, offers much better long-term health, greater energy and freedom, and a longer life compared to remaining on dialysis.

Being a living kidney donor means choosing to donate one of your two kidneys to someone whose kidneys are failing. Most healthy people are able to live full, normal lives with one kidney, and donors are carefully screened to make sure donation is safe for them.

Living donation is voluntary at every step. Donors can ask questions, take time to decide, and stop the process at any point.

Not necessarily. While having a compatible blood type can make donation more straightforward, in some cases a direct donation is still possible across blood types.

And many people who are not a direct match can also help through the Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) program.

In KPD, your kidney could go to another recipient you are compatible with, and in return Liam would receive a compatible kidney from another donor in the exchange. This means that even if you’re not a match for Liam, starting the testing process could still lead to him receiving a transplant if you choose to participate together in KPD.

Adults aged 19 and older in good health can become living kidney donors. Donors do not need to be related to Liam; friends, acquaintances, and even people who don’t know him personally can all be potential donors.

What matters most is overall health. Donors are carefully screened to ensure they have healthy kidneys and no medical conditions that would make donation unsafe.

Living kidney donation is considered very safe for healthy, well-screened donors. Donors undergo extensive medical testing to ensure that donation will not put their health at risk, and if there is any concern, they are advised not to proceed.

As with any surgery, there are risks related to anesthesia and the surgery itself, but these risks are comparable to other common surgical procedures and are well understood and carefully managed by experienced surgical teams. In British Columbia alone, hundreds of kidney transplants are performed each year.

Long-term studies show that living kidney donors have no higher risk of death or kidney failure than people of similar age and health who do not donate. Donor safety is the top priority throughout the entire process: before, during, and after surgery.

Yes. Most people with one healthy kidney live full, normal lives with no restrictions on work, exercise, travel, or daily activities. After recovery, donors typically return to the same level of health, energy, and physical activity they had before donating.

The remaining kidney adapts and takes over the work of both. Donors are advised to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have routine medical checkups, just as anyone else should. Long-term studies consistently show that living kidney donors have similar life expectancy and overall health compared to people who have not donated.

See the Donor Heroes page for some real life stories.

No. Large, long-term studies show that living kidney donors have similar life expectancy and overall health compared to people of the same age and health who have not donated. Donating a kidney does not shorten lifespan.

Donors are carefully selected to ensure they have excellent kidney health before donation, and follow-up care helps monitor long-term well-being. While donors may have a slightly higher chance of developing mild changes in kidney function or blood pressure over time, the overall risk of serious kidney disease remains very low and comparable to the general population.

Yes. Starting the donor testing process does not commit you to donating a kidney. Testing is designed to give you information and ensure that donation would be safe for you, not to pressure you into a decision.

You can pause or stop the process at any point, for any reason, and your decision will be respected and kept confidential. Many people begin testing simply to learn whether donation could be an option before deciding how they feel about moving forward.

The donor testing process is thorough and designed first and foremost to protect the donor. It typically includes blood and urine tests, imaging of the kidneys, heart, and lungs, and general health assessments to make sure donation would be safe for you.

You’ll also meet with members of the transplant team to discuss the process, ask questions, and ensure you feel informed and supported. Testing is done in stages, and results are reviewed along the way. If anything raises concern, testing stops.

Many people complete early testing before deciding whether to continue further.

Living kidney donation surgery is performed by an experienced transplant surgical team. Most donations today are done using minimally invasive (laparoscopic) techniques, which involve a few small incisions rather than a large open incision.

The surgery typically takes a few hours. Donors are under general anesthesia and do not feel pain during the procedure. After surgery, donors are closely monitored in the hospital, usually for 2 to 3 days, to ensure surgical pain is well controlled and recovery is progressing as expected.

Recovery from living kidney donation is generally straightforward, and most donors recover quickly. Donors typically plan for 4 to 6 weeks off from work and strenuous activity to allow their body to heal.

Light activities like walking can begin soon after surgery, and most people return to normal daily routines over the first few weeks. By about 6 to 8 weeks, many donors are back to full activity, including exercise and physically demanding work, depending on individual recovery and medical advice.

See the Donor Heroes page for real life examples including Craig, a living donor who competed in the World Masters Athletics Championships six months after donating.

Living kidney donation does not affect fertility, and many women go on to have healthy pregnancies after donating a kidney. Donation itself does not reduce the ability to become pregnant.

Doctors generally recommend waiting at least 6 to 12 months after donation before becoming pregnant. This allows the body to fully recover from surgery and for kidney function to stabilize. After that recovery period, most donors experience normal pregnancies and deliveries.

Yes. You do not need to live in Vancouver or Canada to be a potential donor for Liam. Much of the early testing can be done near where you live, with results shared with the transplant team.

If donation moves forward, the surgery itself would take place in Vancouver, at Vancouver General Hospital where Liam’s transplant team is based. The transplant program helps coordinate testing, travel, and timing to make the process as smooth as possible. Many donors successfully donate from outside the province or outside Canada, and location should not be a barrier to starting the conversation or the testing process.

Yes. All medical costs related to living kidney donation—including testing, surgery, hospital care, and follow-up—are covered and never paid by the donor.

Travel and accommodation expenses related to donation can also be reimbursed or covered for donors coming from outside the Vancouver area.

If you have questions or just want to talk things through, you can reach out directly to Liam (liam.kerney@gmail.com | 604.764.8543) or contact the VGH transplant team (kidneydonornurse@vch.ca | 604.875.5182) for confidential, no-obligation information.

Asking questions does not commit you to anything, it’s simply a way to learn more and decide what feels right for you.

Many living kidney donors say that donating a kidney is something they feel proud of and grateful for. Donors often describe feeling thankful they were able to help in such a direct and meaningful way.

The vast majority of donors report that they would make the same choice again. Many say the experience gave them a lasting sense of perspective, knowing that their decision had a profound impact on someone else’s life.

See the Donor Heroes page for real life examples.

Kidneys from deceased donors are allocated through a national waiting list, and wait times can be many years. In Canada, time on the transplant waiting list begins after dialysis is started, and most people wait five years or more before a kidney becomes available. During that time, health often declines, and some people become too sick to receive a transplant. This is what happened to Liam’s father, who passed away while on dialysis.

Living donor kidneys work better, last longer, and can be transplanted before dialysis is needed, which leads to significantly better long-term health and outcomes.