Seven years ago, New York Times columnist German Lopez donated one of his kidneys to a total stranger. In his latest column, he makes the case for why everyone should consider doing the same. "In a time that feels increasingly chaotic and out of control, helping people, directly and materially, remains one of the few actions we can take to immediately make the world better," he writes. Lopez argues that the need is great, the risk to donors small, and the satisfaction immense. He counts his act as "the most fulfilling experience of my life."
- "The risk of donating a kidney is not zero, but it was minuscule versus the benefit of extending another person's life by years, if not decades. And things have worked out. I have had zero kidney or health problems since my donation more than seven years ago. I still don't know the woman who received my kidney, as I chose to stay anonymous. I'm happy enough knowing that my donation has given her years of life. I hope she is happy, too."
- Those swayed by the argument can register as a potential donor here.
- Read the full column, with details on the need, the process, and how one donation can set off a "chain" of other transplants.
(Actor Jesse Eisenberg also
donated a kidney to a stranger.)