Give the gift of life by becoming a living kidney donor

Donating a kidney to a friend, family member or other person is a big decision. We strive to provide an excellent donor experience and personalized care to all donors. The dedicated living donor team at Baylor Scott & White Health is available to answer all your questions and guide you through the process.

To learn more about the process for living kidney donor recipients and donors:

Download our pathway to kidney transplant guide

Am I eligible to be a living kidney donor?

To be considered for a living kidney donation, you must first meet certain basic criteria:

  • Healthy individual between the ages of 18 and 65, with two normal kidneys (Donors older than 65 are considered on a case-by-case basis)
  • Blood type compatible with the recipient

It is important to note that the kidney donor and recipient do not need to be the same race or gender or be related. A potential donor can be a close friend, co-worker, spouse or someone who does not know the recipient.

A complete physical evaluation will be required to determine the full scope of the potential donor’s health and compatibility with the recipient. The cost of that evaluation is not the responsibility of the potential living donor kidney donor.

How to start the living kidney donor process

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Baylor Scott & White transplant programs

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Contact us

Dallas: 214.820.GIFT (214.820.4438) | Fort Worth: 817.922.2990 | Temple: 254.724.8912

What if I'm not compatible with my kidney recipient?

Approximately one-third of all interested living kidney donors have an incompatible blood type with their intended recipient. Paired kidney transplantation allows living donor/recipient pairs to still donate and receive kidney transplants.

Explore paired kidney donations

Frequently asked questions about living donor kidney transplants

Real Patients. Real Stories.

Mike Gilbert: A new kidney from my brother. A new life from Baylor.

Mike and Marc Gilbert discovered a special advantage to being identical twins when Mike's kidney disease forced him into dialysis. "I didn't want to live like that," says Mike. Fortunately, he had another option: transplant surgery. Since Marc was both eager to help and a perfect match, Mike didn't have wait to find a suitable donor. Not long after a successful transplant procedure at Baylor Scott & White Health, their lives were back to normal, with one difference. "We're even closer than we were before.”