The need for living kidney donors is growing, partly because people are living longer on dialysis, explains Vaughn Whittaker, MD, a transplant surgeon at Upstate. Everyone has two kidneys and can live with just one, and a kidney from a live donor tends to be of higher quality, he says. While some people fear live donation, Whittaker explains the safety factors and support system that let almost any healthy adult donate, as well as  breakthroughs like the ability to donate to someone with an incompatible blood type. Questions about kidney donation may be made to Upstate‘s transplant clinic at 464-5413.