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Hi Joanne,

I am so sorry to hear about your health issues. I have also been on the wait list for a kidney and received a transplant in 2008. I 100% agree that you should advertise and get the word out! Thankfully, we live in an age where there are a few different options for those that are waiting and sometimes it just comes down to knowledge and timing.

There are special programs for Living Donor Transplantation. Live Donor to Deceased Donor Waiting List Exchange. This program is a way for a living donor to benefit a loved one, even if their blood or tissue types do not match. The donor gives a kidney to another patient who has a compatible blood type and is at the top of the kidney waiting list for a "deceased donor" kidney. In exchange, that donor's relative or friend would move to a higher position on the deceased donor waiting list, a position equal to that of the patient who received the donor's kidney.

There is also the Paired Exchange Kidney Transplant (Family Swap). A "paired exchange" allows patients who have willing but incompatible donors to "exchange" kidneys with one another-the kidneys just go to different recipients than usually expected.

Blood Type Incompatible Kidney Transplant and Positive Crossmatch and Sensitized Patient Kidney Transplant. This is a program that lets patients receive a kidney from a living donor who has an incompatible blood type. To be able to receive such a kidney, patients must undergo several treatments before and after the transplant to remove the harmful antibodies that can lead to rejection of the transplanted kidney.

I wish you the best of luck and will keep you in my prayers.