A Kidney for Kortney

Kortney's transplant will take place at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, home of the TGH Transplant Institute — one of the busiest and most experienced transplant programs in the country. A donor would be in exceptionally capable hands:

• #1 in the nation for transplants by volume in 2024, and among the nation's top five transplant centers for three years running.
• More than 15,000 organ transplants performed since the program began in 1974 — a milestone reached by only a few dozen hospitals nationwide.
• 519 kidney transplants in 2025 alone, one of the highest kidney-transplant volumes in the U.S.
• Recognized as the #1 living-donor kidney transplant program in Florida.
• One-year kidney survival rates that exceed the national average, per the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR).

In short: more experience generally means better outcomes — for Kortney and for her donor.

Kortney's blood type is A+. For a kidney transplant, a recipient with blood type A+ can safely receive a kidney from a donor with blood type A (A+ or A−) or O (O+ or O−). The positive or negative Rh factor does not affect kidney donation compatibility — so what matters is the letter (A or O), not the plus or minus.

Not sure of your blood type, or not a direct match? Please reach out anyway — a paired kidney exchange may still let you help (see below).

It starts with one simple, no-obligation step: fill out the secure living donor form at tgh.org/LivingDonorForm. You'll complete a confidential health-history questionnaire and have your blood type checked. If your blood type is compatible, the transplant team runs a few more blood tests (tissue typing and a "crossmatch") to see how well you and Kortney match. You don't have to be a "perfect" match — and even if your blood type isn't directly compatible, a paired exchange (see below) can still let you help. The transplant center handles all of the testing and explains every result.

Prefer to talk to someone first? Contact the Tampa General Hospital Living Kidney Donor Program at (813) 844-5669 or livingkidneydonor@tgh.org. Please mention you're interested in donating to Kortney Pavone.

No. Living donors can be family, friends, coworkers, or even people who have never met her — what matters is a healthy, compatible kidney, not a blood relationship. And if you'd like to help but aren't a direct match, you can join a paired kidney exchange (a "kidney chain"): you donate to a compatible recipient somewhere else, and in return another donor gives Kortney a kidney that matches her. Thousands of transplants happen this way each year.

If early testing looks promising, the transplant center does a thorough evaluation to make sure donating is safe for you as well as a good match for Kortney. While the exact workup is decided by the transplant team, it generally includes:

• Blood tests — blood type, tissue typing (HLA), and a "crossmatch" to confirm compatibility, plus checks of your kidney function, blood sugar, and liver.
• Urine tests — to confirm your kidneys are healthy and working well.
• Imaging — usually a CT scan (and sometimes other scans) to picture your kidneys and blood vessels.
• Heart & lung checks — such as an EKG and a chest X-ray to confirm you're fit for surgery.
• Cancer & infection screening — age-appropriate cancer screenings and tests for infections that could be passed on.
• Physical exam & history — a head-to-toe checkup and review of your medical and family history.
• Psychological & social evaluation — a meeting with a psychologist or social worker to make sure you're ready and supported.

You'll also be assigned an Independent Living Donor Advocate — someone whose only job is to look out for you, not the recipient. You can pause or stop the process at any time, for any reason, and it stays confidential.

It varies from person to person. Initial blood-type screening can happen within a few weeks, and the full evaluation and scheduling generally takes a few months from first contact to surgery, depending on test results and timing. Because Kortney needs a kidney, sooner is better — but the team will never rush your safety. Tampa General will confirm the exact timeline for your situation.

Yes. We're born with two kidneys but only need one to live a full, healthy life. After donation, your remaining kidney grows slightly larger and takes over the work of both. Living donation has been performed safely for decades, and donors are carefully screened beforehand specifically to confirm they'll thrive with one kidney. If the evaluation ever found that donating wasn't safe for you, you simply would not be approved — your health always comes first.

Donor surgery (called a nephrectomy) is almost always done laparoscopically — through a few small incisions rather than one large one. It typically takes about 2–3 hours under general anesthesia, and most donors stay in the hospital just 1–2 days. The transplant team handles everything and keeps you comfortable throughout.

Decades of research show that living kidney donors live just as long as comparable non-donors, with no meaningful increase in long-term health risk. Donors receive lifelong follow-up to keep an eye on the remaining kidney, and the vast majority go on with completely normal lives. You'll review your individual situation in detail with the transplant team before making any decision.

Absolutely. Once you've fully recovered you can return to work, exercise, travel, and normal life — including serious fitness training. Donors are generally advised to stay hydrated, keep a healthy weight, avoid heavy regular use of anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen, and keep up routine checkups — all things that are good for anyone. Most donors need no special diet.

Most donors are up and walking the day of or the day after surgery. The first week or two involves some soreness and fatigue, managed with pain medication, and you'll avoid heavy lifting for about 4–6 weeks while the incisions heal. Most people feel substantially back to themselves within a few weeks and fully recovered within 1–2 months.

It depends on your job. People with desk or remote jobs often return in about 2–3 weeks, while those with physically demanding work may need 4–6 weeks or more. The transplant team will give you a recommendation based on your recovery and the kind of work you do.

Living donors get follow-up checkups at set intervals after surgery (commonly around 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years), where the team checks your kidney function and overall health with simple blood, urine, and blood-pressure tests. After that, keeping up with a yearly physical with your regular doctor is usually all that's needed.

In nearly all cases, the donor pays nothing for the evaluation, surgery, and hospital stay — those medical costs are covered by the recipient's insurance (Kortney's coverage), not yours. What insurance typically does not cover are indirect costs like travel, lodging, and lost wages — but assistance programs exist for exactly those (see below). The transplant center's financial coordinator will walk you through the details.

Help is available. The National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) reimburses qualifying donors for travel, lodging, meals, and certain lost-wage and dependent-care costs related to donating. Some employers also offer paid donor leave, and additional grants may apply. The transplant team's social worker or financial coordinator can connect you with these resources.

Under the Affordable Care Act, you cannot be denied health insurance or charged more for having been a living donor. For life and disability insurance, protections vary, and rare cases of higher premiums have occurred — so it's worth reviewing your policies. Many states have also passed additional living-donor protection laws. The transplant team can explain what applies to your situation.