About

Team Share A Spare is where people who are considering becoming a kidney donor can hear from people who ARE kidney donors. We've been where you are. 

Maybe you're running down a long list of what-ifs, wondering if voluntarily giving up a perfectly good body part is a good idea. Maybe you're waiting to find out if you're a match and will be able to help a friend. Maybe you're feeling guilty because deep down you hope you're not. Maybe you know someone who's decided to donate and you're not totally on board with their decision. 

We're not here to provide medical advice—transplant specialists and your doctor are the right source for information based on your health and your situation. Information here isn't meant to replace their expertise.

But hearing from people who've been through the process can give you an inside look that may help you decide if donating a kidney is the right thing for you to do. 

I know it sure helped me. 

I'm Janice Crago, and in February, 2017, I was a two-kidneyed freelance writer who had just accepted assignments to write five different patient stories for two different hospitals. The topic? Living kidney donation. I interviewed recipients, donors and surgeons for the stories, learning the ins and outs of what was involved with becoming a donor. 

The timing of those assignments was perfect. At least a woman in my community who'd been waiting for a kidney thought so. On September 5, 2017, she got one of mine. 

Different things went into my decision to become a kidney donor. But one of the biggest ones was being able to get an inside look at becoming a donor from people who'd done it. That's what Team Share A Spare is all about. 

Want to talk with a transplant expert about becoming a kidney donor? Find a transplant center  near you.