DONOR | Bella's Story

Bella Brittingham

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

Hello! My name is Bella and I have had kidney disease since I was 5 years old. I love to draw, play the violin, and hang out with friends.

I was diagnosed with kidney disease when I was 5. I have had to quit jiu-jitsu, my favorite sport, and it makes it hard to hang out with friends when I am always tired and cold.

If I were to get a kidney transplant, I would be able to do things without getting tired, and I hopefully won't have to take medicines that make me nauseous anymore.

I would tell anyone that is also going through this to be brave, and share this story to help awareness.

START YOUR JOURNEY

Become Bella Brittingham's Donor

If you are considering being a living donor please use links below to contact Bella Brittingham's Transplant Center. Begin by completing the donor questionnaire

Fill Out DONOR Questionnaire
(INQUIRES ARE 100% CONFIDENTIAL)

Becoming a Kidney DONOR Find a Transplant Center near you

Johns Hopkins Hospital

1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD, 21287

(410) 614-9345 Email Transplant Center

Did you know?

Medical expenses for living organ donors are 100% covered, and inquires from potential donors are 100% confidential! Contact the Transplant Center to learn more about living donation.

More Donor FAQs

Share the Importance of Living Donation

There are currently 120,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the U.S. Of these, 100,000 await kidney transplants.

The median wait time for a kidney transplant is 3-5 years and can vary depending on health, compatibility, and where you live.

In 2014, 17,107 kidney transplants took place in the U.S. Of these, 11,570 came from deceased donors and 5,537 came from living donors.

Every 14 minutes someone is added to the kidney transplant waitlist.

A kidney from a living donor lasts longer and begins functioning more quickly than a kidney from a deceased donor.

In 1995, kidney donation became minimally invasive with a procedure called laparoscopic nephrectomy, which only requires four small incisions. Hospital stay is typically only 3 days after this operation.

Not blood type compatible with your recipient to be a living donor? Kidney Paired Donation (the “kidney swap” program) enables incompatible candidates with a living donor to receive a kidney from a compatible donor.

Last year, over 700 living donor kidney transplants occurred using Kidney Paired Donation.

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