Donor Outreach for Veterans (DOVE) Organization Pairs Kidney Donors With Veterans

Donor Outreach for Veterans, or DOVE, is a new organization that finds, educates, screens, and supports prospective living donors and matches them with a veteran awaiting transplant, according to the DOVE transplant website.

In the previous year, the number of donors who donated a kidney while alive was roughly 4 times less than that of deceased donors. Living donors may be hesitant due to fear or postoperative health concerns. Receiving a kidney from a living donor is preferred since it reduces the recipient's time on the waiting list. Moreover, a new kidney from a living donor functions immediately and has an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years.

“Through the DOVE program, we are able to bring in these donors and evaluate them to see if they are a candidate for kidney donation,” said Dr Jenny Pan, VA.

Living donors can donate a kidney as early as 18 years of age, although many centers require donors to be at least 21. Veterans who receive a kidney from a living donor are given more time to spend with their families.

“It’s been a blessing for our veterans who’ve done so much for their communities and live a fuller and longer life,” Pan said. The DOVE program offers personalized support to eligible veterans actively listed for a kidney transplant at any US Transplant Center to create an outreach campaign within their networks and community.

References

About us. DOVE. Accessed January 10, 2023. https://www.dovetransplant.org/about

Medical moment: The living donor kidney transplant program for veterans. WNDU. Published January 2, 2024. Accessed January 10, 2024. https://www.wndu.com/2024/01/02/medical-moment-living-donor-kidney-transplant-program-veterans/