Lurie Children's is a national leader in pediatric organ transplantation, performing more than 140 solid organ and stem cell transplants annually. We partner with Northwestern Memorial Hospital to provide children with life-saving kidney and liver living donor transplants and exceptional outcomes.
Compared to deceased donor transplants, living donation:
- Provides faster access to transplant
- Can allow preemptive transplant without end-organ therapies such as dialysis
- Leads to improved recovery and long-term outcomes
Adult living donors complete their evaluation and surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, making our partnership central to this program's success.
Learn more about the importance of living donation in the video below:
Why Choose Lurie Children’s Living Donor Program?
- High Volume Transplant Center: We are one of the most experienced transplant programs for providing living donor kidney and liver transplant, with strong donor and transplant recipient outcomes after living donation.
- Innovative Donor Options: We offer solutions for nearly every situation: paired kidney exchanges, non-directed donation with family voucher programs, and advanced desensitization protocols to expand compatibility.
- Partnership with Northwestern Memorial Hospital: All living donor evaluations and surgeries are performed at Northwestern Memorial, ensuring seamless coordination between expert adult and pediatric transplant teams. As a leader in living-donor transplantation in Illinois, Northwestern uses minimally invasive, laparoscopic-assisted surgery to prioritize donor safety, shorten hospital stays, and minimize scarring.
- Comprehensive Support: Through Northwestern, every donor receives an Independent Donor Advocate plus access to a team of transplant coordinators, social workers, financial liaisons, and peer support from previous donors.
What Are the Different Types of Living Donation?
Lurie Children’s offers living donor kidney and liver transplantation. Donors include parents, grandparents, extended relatives, family friends, as well as non-directed donors who choose to give the gift of life to a child in need.
- Direct Donation: Donor gives directly to a child they know.
- Non-directed (altruistic) Donation: Donor gives to any child in need.
- Paired Donation/ Kidney Swaps: Incompatible pairs matched nationally.
- Compatible Share: A compatible donor participates in a swap to help multiple children.
- Advanced Donation / Voucher Programs: Donors give now; recipients receive organs later when needed.
- Living Liver Donation: Adult donor gives a portion of their liver to a child (regenerates over time).
Eligibility Requirements
Kidney Donors
- At least age 18
- Good physical and mental health
- No history of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, or multiple kidney stones
- Not pregnant
- BMI less than 35
Liver Donors
- Age 18-60
- Be at a healthy weight
- Good health with no major medical or psychiatric illnesses
- No history of major abdominal surgery
- Compatible blood type (may not be required for infants under 1 year)
Each potential donor undergoes thorough medical and psychological screening to ensure safety and optimal outcomes for both donor and recipient.
If you do not currently meet the eligibility requirements for living donation, support is available. We partner with Project Donor, a nonprofit organization that provides free resources to help individuals become eligible, including weight loss support, smoking cessation programs, and emotional support services. To learn more, please contact siragusatransplant@luriechildrens.org.
The Evaluation & Surgery Process
Complete our confidential online questionnaire (15-20 minutes) to determine basic eligibility.
Our partnership with Northwestern Memorial ensures expert evaluation and surgical care.
Evaluation includes:
- Independent Donor Advocate consultation (your advocate, independent of the transplant team)
- Medical history, physical exam, and lab work
- Cancer screenings based on age and gender
- Psychosocial assessment
- Diagnostic imaging (EKG, chest X-ray, CT/MRI)
- Liver biopsy (liver donors only, if needed)
Timeline: Typically 4-8 weeks from initial screening to surgery approval
Cost: The recipient’s insurance typically covers the donor evaluation.
Kidney Donation
- Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedure
- 2-3 hour surgery
- 1-2 night hospital stay
- Most donors discharged next day
Liver Donation
- Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedure
- 3-6 hour surgery (Surgeons will remove a portion of the donor’s liver through an incision in the stomach – the remaining liver regrows to normal size and capacity within a couple of months)
- 2-3 night hospital stay
All surgeries performed by Northwestern Memorial’s expert transplant surgeons.
Recovery Timeline
- Return to work: 4-8 weeks for most donors
- Kidney donors: typically, 4-6 weeks to return to normal activities
- Liver donors: typically, 6-8 weeks to resume daily routines, though some fatigue can persist for longer as the liver regenerates
Follow-up Care
- Kidney donors: 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up visits
- Liver donors: 1-week, 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year follow-up visits
Long-term Outcomes
- Normal life expectancy
- No dietary restrictions
- No limitations on exercise or pregnancy (after recovery)
- Annual check-ups recommended (as with all adults)
Financial Considerations
Covered by the Recipient’s Insurance
- Donor evaluation
- Surgery and hospitalization
- Immediate post-operative care
- Follow-up visits through two years post-surgery
Potential Indirect Costs
- Lost wages during recovery
- Travel and lodging (if traveling for evaluation/surgery)
- Childcare or dependent care
- Additional testing outside standard evaluation (may be billed to donor’s insurance)
Financial Assistance Available
Northwestern’s financial liaisons can connect donors to available resources and support programs to minimize any financial burden.
Financial assistance programs can help offset:
- Lost wages and income
- Transportation and travel
- Lodging for donor and support person
- Childcare and dependent care
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically 4-8 weeks from initial screening to surgery approval, depending on test scheduling and individual circumstances.
- If you’re interested in donating a kidney but are not a match for your intended recipient, you may still be able to help through a paired exchange program where you donate to another compatible child, and in your return your recipient receives a kidney from a different compatible donor.
- Living liver donation usually requires a compatible blood type. In some cases, especially for infants under 1 year — transplantation may still be possible even if blood types don’t match. If you are not a match, there may still be opportunities to donate and help another child in need.
Absolutely. Living donors include parents, relatives, friends, coworkers, and non-directed (anonymous) donors. What matters is medical compatibility and your genuine desire to help
Yes! The liver is unique because it can regenerate, usually returning to normal size within a couple of months after donation. Healthy individuals can safely live with as little as 25% of their liver. The proportion of liver donated depends on the donor’s liver size and the needs of the recipient, but the surgical team always ensures that a safe amount remains for the donor.
Living kidney donors who later develop kidney disease receive priority status on the national transplant waiting list. The risk of needing a transplant after donation is very low.
Illinois requires job-protected leave from private and public employers for organ donation, and many employers offer paid leave. Our team can provide documentation to support your request for time off.
Living kidney donation has become extremely safe, with most donors recovering fully and living completely normal lives. Serious complications are uncommon, occurring in fewer than 5% of cases. Though liver donation is a more complex surgery, the comprehensive evaluation process ensures donation is safe and will not compromise a donor’s long-term health. At Northwestern, the donor’s health is always the top priority and donor survival is 100%.
Yes. Pregnancy is typically safe after full recovery from donation. Discuss family planning with your evaluation team for personalized guidance.
Contact Our Donor Coordinators
Email our team for questions about living organ donation.
Living Donor News & Stories
Can I Be a Living Organ Donor? What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know
Living organ donation offers a powerful way to give someone a second chance at life. For parents and caregivers, the decision comes with unique considerations and our experts break down the facts, risks and possibilities so you can make an informed choice.
Kidney Swaps and Living Donors Fuel Transplant Growth at Lurie Children’s
Niyana Thrives After Liver Transplant, Thanks to Mom
Three-month-old Niyana faced a rare liver disease requiring a transplant and her mother became her life-saving donor. Read their powerful story of sacrifice and the expert care at Lurie Children's that gave Niyana a healthy future.
Sawyer’s Fighting Chance: His Own Father
Newborn baby Sawyer battled a life-threatening liver condition for months until the most perfect donor was found and turned everything around: his own dad.
Haytham Doing Better Than Ever Following Liver Transplant From Altruistic Donor
Two-year-old Haytham had already overcome many challenges in his young life and needed a liver transplant. One altruistic stranger was a match.
‘Remarkable Display Of Generosity:’ Gavin Among Record Number Of Living Donor Organ Recipients In February
Robyn and Ward sent an email to close friends and family making what they called “the biggest ask of our lives.” The Chicago parents sought a kidney for their then 10-year-old son, Gavin.
Resources & Support
Donor Resources
- Kidney Living Donor Handout
- Kidney Living Donor Handout (Spanish)
- Liver Living Donor Handout
- Liver Living Donor Handout (Spanish)
- Living Donor Resources Handout
- Living Donor Resources Handout (Spanish)
Other Resources
Visit the following websites for more information: