Community helps to spread the word

DAYTON -Friends and supporters of Lisa Naylor found a creative way to bring attention to her need for a kidney donor. This thoughtful group of residents helped Naylor mount a large sign on Joanne and Bill Poolman's barn on eastbound Highway 12. The sign with Naylor's image gives contact information on how to become a living kidney donor.

Anyone interested in becoming a living kidney donor should contact Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for more information. There is an online questionnaire to qualify possible candidates at  http://www.sacredheartlivingdonor.org.

Donors can name a specific person to receive their kidney or be matched to someone who needs a transplant.

Living-donor organ transplants are associated with fewer complications than deceased-donor transplants and, overall, a longer survival rate of the donor organ, according to the Mayo Clinic.

National Kidney Registry provided the following information on the estimated timing for testing and surgery:

Screening & Testing

1 Confidential screening and medical history takes 45 mins.

2 Center will contact you within three days.

3 Complete standard workup over three days.

4 Getting cleared for donation takes one to four months.

Surgery & Recovery

1 Complete pre-op takes one day.

2 Completed surgery takes one to five hours.

3 Recover in hospital for one to four days.

4 Refrain from flying for one week.

5 Recover at home for one to four weeks.

*Most people can return to normal activities after two to four weeks. Donors with physically demanding jobs may need four to six weeks of recovery before returning to work. High-performance athletes will need six months to a year before returning to pre-donation performance levels.