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Give life

Hundreds of San Diegans need a kidney transplant at Sharp HealthCare. Living donors can end their wait.

Living kidney donor

Sometimes giving also means receiving. As a living kidney donor, you could receive more years with a spouse, more laughter with a friend and more family reunions.

Live kidney donation is when a living person donates one of their kidneys to another person in need. As a living donor, you can give hope to someone with chronic kidney failure, offering freedom from dialysis and the ability to lead a more active, healthier life.

For more than 30 years, Sharp’s Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program has changed the lives of thousands of San Diegans and their loved ones. We have performed more than 2,300 kidney transplants, with one of the highest success rates in the country.

Our goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible for a donor match. In addition to direct donation, we also participate in kidney-donor chains that match donor and recipients across the country.

An extraordinary level of care

A successful transplant requires many experts, and we are here to guide you every step of the way. Our program includes a team of specialists who provide the highest quality care to both donors and recipients. Transplant surgeons, kidney doctors (nephrologists), certified transplant nurse coordinators and transplant pharmacists work together with social workers, registered dietitians and financial coordinators to deliver the extraordinary level of care we call The Sharp Experience.

Become a kidney donor

If you're interested in donating your kidney through Sharp, learn how to become a donor and submit our living donor intake form.

Submit our kidney transplant candidate self-referral for evaluation form to get in touch with a transplant referral coordinator for more information about kidney transplantation at Sharp.

"If you are considering becoming a living donor, do it! I promise you that the feeling of saving someone’s life is like no other."

– Amanda Kotanen, Sharp Memorial Hospital living kidney donor

Kidney donation frequently asked questions

Read our kidney transplant stories