For people who need a kidney transplant, asking friends, co-workers, community members, and even family to consider donating a kidney can be a challenging task.
We encourage patients to identify a "Kidney Champion" — someone who is willing to ask around and educate people about kidney disease, and the options available to patients with the disease. Kidney champions can provide important information so that the patient does not have to feel awkward speaking to others about their health condition, including their treatment options—dialysis or transplantation. They can also reach out to family, friends, and acquaintances through social media, and encourage all of their contacts to share in order to have a far-reaching effort to find potential living donors.
Tools for Kidney Champions
- For Patients Who Need to Find a Kidney Champion: What Is a Kidney Champion and How Can I Find My Own Champion? (PDF)
- For People Who Want to Serve as a Kidney Champion: Be a Kidney Champion - Educate People About Living Kidney Donation (PDF)
- Sample email/letter/social media post for Kidney Champions to use to get started (Word Doc)
- A Conversation Can Save A Life