Could You Be the One?
What Is Living Kidney Donation?
A living donation happens when a healthy person volunteers one of their kidneys to someone in need. The human body functions fully with just one kidney, which means a living donor can lead a completely normal, healthy life after surgery.
Kidneys from living donors have longer survival rates, function better, and have fewer complications than kidneys from deceased donors — and the wait time is significantly shorter.
Who Can Donate?
A living donor can be a blood-related family member or a non-blood-related individual — a spouse, friend, coworker, member of a faith community, or even a compassionate stranger. This type of donation is called altruistic, non-directed donation, and it is increasingly common.
What If We Are Not a Match?
Blood type or immune system differences prevent about one-third of willing donors from being a direct match. If that is the case, you may still be able to help through a kidney paired donation program — where your kidney goes to another recipient, and I receive a compatible kidney in exchange. For cases where a paired exchange is not possible, this can make incompatible donor-recipient pairs viable.
I am waiting for a simultaneous pancreas & kidney (SPK) transplant at UI Health in Chicago
UI Health Now the Largest Simultaneous Kidney Pancreas Transplant Program in the U.S.
The University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics performed the most simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants in the United States in 2023, according to data from the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OTPN), a national organ donation and transplantation database. UI Health’s transplant volumes are reflective of our program’s expertise and dedication to providing exceptional care and making a substantial impact in organ transplantation. Our comprehensive program caters to a diverse range of patients needing kidney and pancreas transplants, including patients with body mass indices at or above 30 (indicative of obesity) who may be denied surgery at other centers.
The Kidney Transplant Program at UI Health is one of the largest and most experienced kidney transplantation programs in Chicago. Our teams of experts work closely with you through every stage of your journey — from pre-transplant care to postsurgical monitoring. We are committed to providing patients and their families personalized treatment options for the best surgical outcomes.
Our kidney transplant surgeons provide care to both children and adult patients, and we have expertise in a number of transplantation procedures, including living donor transplantations and transplants for high-risk patients. We also are proud to offer paired kidney exchange — or “kidney swap” — for patients with donor blood-type incompatibilities.
UI Health is focused on providing access to advanced care to our diverse community, and we are one of Chicago's leaders in providing kidney transplants to Hispanic and African-American patients.
How you can help
To find out if you are a match or if you would like to donate a kidney for Elizabeth Villarreal
Phone: (312)996- 6771 and request a living donor nurse or
Send an email to: Kidneytransplant@uic.ed
Learn more about transplant at UIH
Announcement!
I will be a dialysis patient panelist for Kidney Connections for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois on 10/24/26
Kidney Connections | National Kidney Foundation of Illinois