Press Release - Oct. 12, 2021

Living Kidney Donors Network, an Innovative nonprofit, develops Kidney Transplant Thursdays, an initiative to raise public awareness about the desperate need for living kidney donors

 

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a critical shortage of kidneys, and educating the public is the key to increasing the number of living kidney transplants. Studies have indicated that about 43,000 people die each year whose lives could be saved if more kidneys were available. Click here to read "The Terrible Toll of the Kidney Shortage."

Here's how the program works:

• On the 2nd Thursday of every month, Kidney Transplant Thursdays encourages organizations, and individuals connected with the kidney community to use their social media and PR outlets to educate the public about the safety and effectiveness of living kidney donation.
• This approach will address the public's "knowledge gap" about living kidney donation. This is needed because there isn't an organization dedicated to educating the public about living kidney donation, as there is for deceased donation like State DMVs and other organizations.
• The initiative is an easy and effective way to raise awareness and facilitate more people exploring becoming a living kidney donor. Most people who donate do so to someone they know or whose situation they heard about from publicity they have received.
• There's a small percentage of people who donate, even though they don't know anyone who needs a kidney transplant. These "non-directed" or "Good Samaritan" kidney donors can save the life of more than one person. To learn more about non-directed kidney donation, click here. If you are interested in being a non-directed kidney donor there are many options one can explore. For guidance on these options, email: info@kidneytransplantthursdays.org

Transplant centers, dialysis & pharmaceutical companies, non-profits, individuals in need, kidney donors and family members and friends who want to educate the public about the need for living kidney donors are participating in Kidney Transplant Thursdays.

To learn more about Kidney Transplant Thursdays and see how you can participate, visit the website: www.kidneytransplantthursdays.org or Facebook page to post or share one of the postings that are educating the public.

Questions? email: info@kidneytransplantthursdays.org