Living Kidney Donor Program

Providence Health Care’s Living Kidney Donor Program assesses and educates individuals wishing to be considered as a living kidney donor. There are three ways to be a living kidney donor:

  • Donating a compatible kidney directly to a friend or relative
  • If the donor kidney is not compatible with the recipient, using the Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Program to be matched with another donor/recipient pair in a similar situation
  • Donating a kidney without personally knowing someone needing a transplant through the Living Anonymous Donor (LAD) program.

The Living Donor Team consists of nurses, nephrologists, surgeons and social workers who specialize in transplantation, as well as a wide variety of consultative services and administrative and program staff.

The team coordinates all medical and psychosocial assessments of the prospective living kidney donor as well as any additional diagnostic testing, consultations or specialists that are required. Once a living donor is identified and approved, the program also collaborates with the transplant recipient’s primary care team.

The Living Kidney Donor Program also works nationally to coordinate approval, entry and management of incompatible living donor pairs who wish to be considered for the Canadian Living Donor Paired Exchange (LDPE) Program.

Information for donors

An individual must be at least 19 years of age to be considered as a potential donor. There is no upper age limit. However, by the time people reach their late 60s there is often a normal reduction in kidney function, making them less suitable as donors.

Anonymous donors must be 25 years or older, and they cannot direct their donation to any particular recipient.

A prospective donor must personally contact the Living Donor Program by email or phone to express their interest in the program. It’s important to understand that the Living Donor Team works on behalf of the donor and will proceed according to the donor’s wishes and best interests. Donor information is kept strictly confidential and is not shared with others, including the potential recipient.

The Living Kidney Donor Program will send the prospective donor a package that includes information about kidney donation, a Medical-Social questionnaire and registration forms. The potential donor will complete and return these documents. The registration forms and questionnaire are reviewed by a nurse, who will then contact the donor to review their motivation, suitability to proceed, and the procedures and protocols for assessment.

Once a kidney donor is approved, the Living Kidney Donor Program will coordinate pre-surgery, peri-operative planning and long-term follow-up. The donor is given multiple opportunities to proceed or withdraw as they choose.

Further information

Contact Us

Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul's Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca