Fundraising for a Kidney Transplant

Kidney transplants are literally life-saving, but depending on where you live costs can be extremely high. People often turn to crowdfunding to cover their medical expenses in times of need. GoGetFunding has helped many people fund transplant surgeries.

Let’s take a look at what a kidney transplant involves and how you can fundraise to cover the costs.

Mayo Clinic explains that a kidney transplant is: “a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly.”

For someone suffering from kidney disease, a transplant is often the best option. However, there are long waiting lists and high costs involved. The National Kidney Foundation explains that the average wait time can be 3 to 5 years, sometimes even longer depending on where you live.

Costs pile up because you don’t just need to pay for the surgery itself. There are evaluation appointments, pre-surgery and post-surgery appointments, and medications to be taken. Many people have to travel to a transplant center and stay in the area, leading to additional costs for transport, a place to stay, loss of income for time off work, and food.

In 2020 in America, the average cost of a kidney transplant was $442,500. In some countries the cost of the surgery may be covered by insurance depending on your provider. However, insurance doesn’t cover additional costs. If you don’t have insurance or are in a position where you need to pay for all your costs upfront, it can be a worrying time.

Crowdfunding can help you to raise the money you need for the transplant, whether it’s for yourself or a loved one. Your campaign could help you to cover the cost of the surgery itself as well as other expenses. This allows the patient to focus on their recovery rather than worrying about money.

Aside from helping you with the costs, crowdfunding often allows people to feel supported and part of a community. It gives you an opportunity to connect with others who may understand what you’re going through. You can even play a part in raising awareness about your own or your loved one’s condition, helping to educate others.

Let’s take a look at two GoGetFunding campaigns that helped people to get a kidney transplant:

A Father’s Successful Transplant

After Sid’s father was diagnosed with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD), he was in desperate need of medical help. His son Sid stepped up to be the living donor, but in order to follow through with the transplant they needed to fund the expensive surgery.

They turned to GoGetFunding and raised an amazing ₱55,050. Their successful campaign allowed a son to save his fathers life. Both father and son recovered well and were able to go on with their lives.

Giving a 5-year-old a New Kidney

Five year old Ayesha had been through multiple operations and treatments to treat her kidney disease. Her parents were out of money and desperate for financial help to pay for their daughter’s treatment and allow her to get a kidney transplant.

Their campaign raised an amazing ₱381,912.95 to help Ayesha access the medical care she needed.

References

Mayo Clinic, (2021), “Kidney transplant”.

National Kidney Foundation, (2021), “The Kidney Transplant Waitlist – What You Need to Know”.

Statista, (2020), “Average amount charged for a kidney transplant in the U.S. as of 2020, by category”.