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Should I donate my kidney to my uncle?
My uncle is really sick and his kidneys are failing him. He's had this kidney trouble for years now and he's been in and out of the hospital. He has not found a donor yet and has been waiting on the list for quite some time. I just found out that I'm a match for him. My mom doesn't want me to donate my kidney though because she says I'm way too young to be doing things like that and that I might end up regretting it later. I'm not sure what to do though. I don't want him to die because he's always been good to me. What should I do? What are the REAL pros & cons of doing this? Help?
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You will not be able to drink, ever. You will have to be very careful about what you do in the future to not overstress your body. You won't be able to participate in any form of serious sports so far as I know. And a few thousand other small issues.
Donating a kidney is a serious decision, and honestly, your mother is right. It is a decision which can and will impact the entirety of the rest of your life in ways you haven't been around long enough to truly grasp. And as you'll have one kidney running double duty for decades before you'd be old enough to have to worry about similar such body issues, you could very well wind up in his shoes at his age when you could have been fine.
You could quite literally cut 10-20 years off of your life. You could also not cut any, but you asked for the pros and cons, and things like this are the risk you run.
This is a fucked up position to put you in, because you really don't have the judgment or experience to make a decision like this yet (not an insult, I'm 25 and this would be insanely difficult were I in your shoes) so you have to rely on others and then possibly shoulder the guilt for it yourself later.
But, in all honesty, there's a pretty large chance that you'd regret not having both your kidneys in 40 years far more than you'd regret having kept them. You know, when you get into the age where your kidneys might be at risk of having issues?
Your body gives you two which can function independently of each other for a reason. Back up. A kidney transplant at your age (which I'm betting is under 25) is kind of like choosing to walk on a tightrope without a safety net for the rest of your life.
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Do some research about donating a kidney before you make a choice. Your desire to help your Uncle is a noble one. But be aware that living with one kidney can create all sorts of health problems and limitations in the future. So do your research and then weigh your decision very carefully. Decide if you can live with the possible consequences. If you decide against it, don't feel guilty. You are kind to even consider it, but its not your responsibility. If you finish your research and you need more clarification, discuss it with your uncle, see what he thinks. Good Luck to you.
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Donating an organ to a family member is personal choice, Sure it is a great thing and can help your uncle in the long run and possibly live a healthier life. However remember, Donating ANY organ is something that takes time to think about and will require surgery.
Do not feel pressured into HAVING to donate an organ because you are a match. It will not make you a bad person if you decide not to donate an organ. Again, This is YOUR body and YOU decide what you want to do. You're mother has her opinions, However again everyone has their opinions when it comes to certain things but again this would be a decision only you would be able to make. You either are an organ donor or you're not.
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