Chicago area strangers step up for organ donation
In recent months 5 Chicago metropolitan area adults have gone above and beyond by donating kidneys to strangers.
Of the 5 donors 2 are young women are are in their early 20's. They are in good health and want to help other people. Another is a father who lost his teenage daughter in an auto accident. He wants to honor her memory by donating a kidney. An woman who works as a dental hygienist who's father was her inpsiration for donating a kidney and the 5th person is a woman who wants to repay her cousin for an act of kindness.
The effects of these generous people will multiply due to what is known as a transplant chain. New in the field of kidney transplants, transplant chains start when someone donates a kidney to someone they do not know. It is common for the recipient of the organ who have friends and family who want to donate but are unable to do so due to medical circumstances. If that person donates an organ to a recipient who is a better match, and has friends and family members who want to do the same, the chain adds more links.
Loyola University Medical Center was the first in Illinois to start the transplant chain when they registered the 5 "good Samaritan" donors with the National Kidney Registrya. By registering these donors, Loyola made a commitment to send organs to whom ever needed them the most.
According to Garet Hill, founder of the registry, it is unusual for a hospital or medical center to send out organs. They usually keep Samaritan donors to help their own patients.
So far the registry has arranged over 100 transplants. Another 30 matches are in the work and are waiting for approval.
According to Hill, no Medical Center has listed as many donors as Loyola.
