“Good Samaritan” Kidney Donor and Expert Discuss Trend in Kidney Donation

Patients waiting for a lifesaving transplant rely heavily on the public to make the choice to become organ donors. The shortage of deceased donor organs has reached a crisis, with almost 120,000 people in need of a lifesaving organ nationwide. Over 3,000 of those are Mayo Clinic patients. However, living donors can help shorten the wait time for many patients waiting for kidney, liver and/or bone marrow transplants.

Mayo Clinic pediatrician Phil Fischer, M.D., decided to become a living donor and give a kidney anonymously. To hear Dr. Fisher explain how a patient in need of a kidney transplant touched his heart and inspired him to explore altruistic organ donation, play the video below.

Dr. Fischer is available to talk to the media about his personal experience. Surgeon Mikel Prieto, M.D.,with the Mayo Clinic Transplant Center, is also available to discuss living-donor kidney donation and transplantation.

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Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Prieto are available in the downloads.