Would you donate one of your kidneys to your sibling?

[twoforjoy]

Absolutely.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Without hesitation! My brother is one of my closest friends. My sister is twelve, but other than that she's alright.

[higginszoo]

Yep. In a heartbeat.

 

My f-i-l has had his sister's kidney since 1982. They had a few tense moments (and some testing) when their brother was diagnosed with renal cancer in 2000 (he died a few months later). But both are doing fine.

[delaney]

My sister yes. My brothers no. They drink too much and really have ignored me since they went off to college.

[*********]

I dd. I donated a kidney to my sister eleven years ago.

 

If I knew then what I know now, I would not have donated to her.

[LizzyBee]

I can't be an organ donor because of having leukemia, but if I were healthy, I wouldn't hesitate to give a kidney to one of my sisters. I am so glad to have four living siblings, because I know that if I ever need a bone marrow transplant, the odds are pretty good that one of them will be a match and they would be willing to be donors if I needed one.

[lmrich]

Yes! Would not even have to think about it.

[kwickimom]

ABSOLUTELY without a doubt and I wouldn't have a second thought about it. I would die for my siblings, so giving a kidney is a no brainer for me.

[CalicoKat]

No. I'm medically fragile. I'm pretty certain I'd be refused by the medical folks even if I volunteered. And I'm a diabetic and I might need all the kidney power myself someday.

[Rhonda in TX]

I don't know. I'm at high, high risk of getting diabetes. It seems selfish to say, but I may very well need that kidney someday. Plus, with my risks, I don't believe my siblings would let me do it. I know I wouldn't let them.

[BamaTanya]

Yes.

 

My brother nearly died of kidney failure when my oldest was a newborn and I considered it at the time. As in: "Do you need my kidney?"

 

I wondered if it would limit my ability to have more children . . .

 

It wound up being a non-issue at the time.

 

The condition that caused his crisis is lupus. Fortunately, with chemotherapy, his lupus went into remission and his kidneys have held out since then.

 

Absolutely. We need him in our family. My niece and nephew need their father. The world is a better place because he's here. We aren't particularly close (personality differences), but we both would do anything for the other. Anything.

[Parrothead]

All I can say is maybe.

 

We are not close. It would be like giving a kidney to a guy I knew in college or something. We only communicate once a year or so and only because we are family.

 

But I might do it so my parents don't lose a child prematurely. I'd do it to spare them that pain.

[Meriwether]

If one of your siblings needed a kidney--and you were the only match--would you give your kidney to your sibling?

 

Absolutely.

[8circles]

I want to say yes but I can't so easily. If I didn' have children then the answer would be emphatically yes for any of them. For my sister who is the mother of 2 small ones herself, I would do it. For my other siblings - one who is estranged by his own choice & both who make very questionable life choices - I'd have to spend a lot of time in prayer.

[mommymilkies]

Yes. ... But likely there would be other considerations too. Is the reason for needing a transplant something genetic that might later effect one of my children? What is my current health and would the surgery endanger me? If I were planning more children, would that be effected?

 

But my gut reaction is "yes".

 

:iagree: I can't see anything stopping me, but yes if I was medically able.

[Impish]

Medically, I couldn't for anyone.

 

If that weren't the case, then it would depend on which sib. One, absolutely, no questions asked. Another, I didn't grow up with, don't know, doesn't have any more emotional attachment than the average stranger on the street, no. The other two...it would really take a lot of prayer to make that decision.

[MissKNG]

Yes.

[Blueridge]

Sure. Though, unfortunately, my first response was "Depends on which one."

 

:iagree:

[2_girls_mommy]

Sure. Though, unfortunately, my first response was "Depends on which one."

 

Terrible to admit that was mine too. But it only took a second to correct myself and know that of course I would, to any of them.

[Amy in NH]

Yes.

[Tess in the Burbs]

In my situation no. I think you have to consider your situation.

 

for me I would donate a kidney to someone if I knew they truly had a medical issue that led to this need and not just reckless living/eating.

 

In my case my sister is not taking care of her body in any way and hasn't for 15 years. Her medical issues are due to her own negligence and lack of respect for herself and I wouldn't give up a kidney so she can continue that lifestyle. However, if someone I knew lived pretty healthy and was in need I would consider donating.

[Kalypso]

Yes. I have one sister and we are very close. She would do it for me also.

[Murphy101]

Depends on the situation.

I would not risk a pregnancy to do it for example.

Also, what about the financial cost? Could I afford to do it? Both cost of surgery and time healing? Not everyone has a job they can afford to leave, even for medical reasons.

 

So, for ME, it wouldn't be a question of if I would give it.

 

It would be more of a question of whether I could do it without severely hurting my nuclear family longterm.

 

It might not be a popular answer, but I do think it a realistic one to consider.

[Pretty in Pink]

I wish I could say yes, but I honestly don't know. My sister and I are close and it would be difficult to say no. My brother and I are not close. They both smoke heavily and drink more than moderately, sometimes heavily. They don't lead healthy lifestyles. It would be difficult to justify the risk of surgery to myself, my children's mother; then again, it would be difficult to say no, especially to my little sister. She's only 23.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I would do it if my sibling had not destroyed their own kidney through abuse of drugs and/or alcohol.

[Jenny in Florida]

I don't have a sibling, but I would give a kidney to a family member or a close friend in a heartbeat.

[Nakia]

Like many others, my first thought was "in a heartbeat." I would donate a kidney to either of my two brothers, and I am sure they would do the same for me.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

probably would if I could....but I have my own health issues and wouldn't be considered a good candidate....

[Krista in LA]

Sure. Though, unfortunately, my first response was "Depends on which one."

 

It does depend on which one for me. I think I would only do it without a second thought if it were my younger brother. I would think long and hard about doing it for my one sister, but wouldn't even consider it for my other brother and sister for very different reasons.

[BMW]

I am not eligible, regardless, because of previous cancer. I also do not know if blood type matters, but my blood type is one of the more rare ones and I don't know about my siblings.

 

There are 4 of us, 1 brother is not healthy because of long term party lifestyle, 1 is healthy except for his heart and my sister is healthy. Life is tough...

 

If I had not had cancer and my blood type matched (if it has to) I would consider it, for sure.

[JennyD]

I'm not sure if I would qualify (cancer history) but if so, then yes. My brother and i are not particularly close, but I could never look at my parents again if I said no.

[mommyrooch]

Yes! Absolutely! :001_smile:

[Old Dominion Heather]

Yes. In a heartbeat.

[Jilly]

I have four brothers, and for three of them I would do it in a heartbeat. The other one I am not sure what I would do. I probably wouldn't donate to him, and I am sure he would not donate to me either.

[justamouse]

in a heartbeat

[kewb]

Absolutely. If my sister needed one of my kidneys I would gladly give it to her.

[iamrachelle]

You bet I would... but we're twins so I would wonder if whatever is wrong with him could be wrong with me...

[DusksAngel]

My first response was yes. But the more I thought about it, it would depend on what his lifestyle (only have one brother) was like and what my health was.

[mereminerals]

Sure. Though, unfortunately, my first response was "Depends on which one."

 

 

That is the first response that popped in my head as well.

[lionfamily1999]

It never occurred to me to save my organs for the kids, just in case. Great golly, I was pretty happy with saving some money for their future, lol, I didn't think of my body as a possible source for them later on.:lol: Or to say no if someone's lifestyle didn't suit me. That's sort of funny (I feel rather selfish), because my thoughts ran more in line with, as long as it won't kill me or keep me off my feet for the rest of my life... I didn't consider my children (bad mother) or whether or not giving a kidney could just prolong someone's destruction of themself (bad sister).

 

So, would a lifestyle change prompt anyone to give? IOW, all the sibs that are unhealthy, what if they changed? Just curious :D

No, and it's not because I don't love my siblings.

 

Surgery is a major risk, and I'm a mother of children who need me. I also have kidney cancer in the family (2 relatives).

 

I don't think anyone should ever expect it of another human being, and I don't think anyone should ever feel guilty about saying no.

:iagree: Except that I said yes, with the caveat of my own health and any unknowns that might be dropped into the question later. I do not think that saying no is bad or wrong. This is charity, being forced to give through guilt... not so much. As far as expecting it, well, that's a little far reaching. I have to admit that if it was expected of me I would be mightily tempted to rebel and point out that I don't have to do doodly squat thankyouverymuch.

I dd. I donated a kidney to my sister eleven years ago.

 

If I knew then what I know now, I would not have donated to her.

:confused: :grouphug:

[gardenmom5]

it may be selfish of me, but probably not. might vary with circumstances (and more than just the prognosis). my ability to care for my own children comes first. I have friend's who've donated kidneys, but their children were adults when they did so. I'm somewhat aware of how it is very hard on the donor, and my own health hasn't been the best.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

I know I would, but I don't love the idea of it! For one thing, of the three of us, I am the only one with a child. However, I would give a kidney to either sister to save her life. She'd owe me though :tongue_smilie:

[samba]

Yes. I would have no problem giving a kidney to a sibling (I have 4 siblings and I would help whoever needed it). I'm healthy and have had no major medical issues (if I had health concerns of my own or a questionable family history, that would be a different story...my kids, or at least one of them, will be needing me for a long time).

[PinkInTheBlue]

Yes. I have to say though, if I had some of the relationships (bad) that some posters here have with their siblings my immediate answer would not always be "yes". It would be a very big deal to make such a decision because it would put my family and children in the situation of my risk too. It wouldn't be made flippantly and would be made for very, very few people in my life.

[golfcartmama]

Yes.

[MamaT]

Yes, I would.

[NanceXToo]

No, I don't think I would. I would worry too much about whether I would need that kidney in the future for my own health, which also serves the dual purpose of allowing me to be there for my kids. (There is no one I feel 100 percent comfortable with in my family to take my kids if they lost me)!

 

Now, if one of my children needed a kidney, I would do it without question.

Edited October 5, 2011 by NanceXToo

[Laurie4b]

I'd have to really think about it. I don't have more of a relationship than asking, "How have you been?" if they come over when we are visiting my father or mother. (One lives near one parent; the other near the other. We live halfway between--about day's drive away.)

 

Years ago, I let one way relationships go. I don't invest anymore.

[cstitches]

My mom had kidney failure almost two years ago, and was on dialysis for 4-5 hrs, 3 days a week, while working full time. My uncle (her brother) was found to be a match and donated his kidney. That was a nerve-racking day for my family, having two loved ones in surgery in one day.

 

When my mom and now step-dad married in July, my step-dad made my uncle a groomsman and took a moment in the ceremony to thank him and honor his gift.

 

There have since been a lot of "your kidney is making me pee a lot" jokes :tongue_smilie:

 

I don't have any siblings, but it occurred to me after my uncle was a match that I could've been tested. Surgery absolutely frightens me, so I honestly don't know if I could do it. But I am deeply grateful that my uncle did.

[FrogMom5]

Absolutely.

Denise