Ken and Debi Ardon now share a unique bond: between them, they have just two kidneys.

In 2004, Debi watched an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in which a celebrity spoke about facing kidney failure—and how a transplant from his best friend saved his life.

“They came on and told their story, and I thought to myself, ‘I could do that,’” Debi said. 

The two filled out forms online through hospitals and were later interviewed by psychologists. Nearly 15 years later, Ken donated his kidney. In 2022, Debi followed suit. Both procedures were done through Tufts Medical Center.

“It’s so particular to match with someone. It’s not just blood type. There’s so many other things,” Debi said. “It’s about if just one person gets motivated to think ‘I can do that.’”

April is National Donate Life Month, established by Donate Life America to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. On April 10, people are encouraged to wear blue and green in support of the cause.

“People aren’t donating organs, and it’s easy to do,” Debi said. “So many people need organs.”

Many people sign up to be a donor through their Registry of Motor Vehicles when applying for or renewing a license. According to Donate Life, over 90% of donor registrations take place through the RMV.

Kidney donations, however, are a bit different. 

When someone donates a kidney after their death, there’s a specific time frame for when the kidney is “good” for transplanting. Debi said this leads to more difficulty, especially since “there’s not a nationwide kidney registry.”

“Although living kidney donation is becoming more common – a record 6,860 living donors donated a kidney in 2019 – some people may hesitate to become a living donor because they have heard incorrect information about the kidney donation process,” the National Kidney Registry states. 

Donating a kidney does not prevent someone from living a normal life. In fact, the National Kidney Registry notes that donors often live longer than average. Donors can still drink alcohol in moderation and eat without major dietary restrictions. Most are even “out of bed and walking independently” before leaving the hospital.

“If people knew it was relatively easy, I think more people would do it,” Ken said. “It’s surgery, but my knee surgery was way worse.”

Debi said she spent less than 36 hours in the hospital. The two have a scar, but it’s “hidden in the bikini line.”

“You can do everything,” Debi said. 

Even more reassuring, Debi added, donors typically don’t pay for the procedure. The recipient’s insurance covers the cost.

The two had to follow up with check ups a few times, and Debi said their blood lab results are “different,” but not in a detrimental way but instead “it’s because we have one kidney.”

But the overall donation process for kidneys is still an issue.

While the for-profit organization National Kidney Registry, which started in 2007 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut, facilitates living kidney donor transplants, living kidney donations have stayed pretty flat since its inception, according to government transplant data analyzed by the New York Times. 

Debi said when someone is in need of a kidney transplant they have to often “recruit family and friends and see” if they are a match. 

“There’s not enough people out there,” Debi said. 

Kidneys from living donors are rarer than those received from deceased-donor kidneys. Ken said there’s a “weird stigma” around donating non-directed. 

“The more people that hear about this the better,” Ken said.

Ken mentioned that if someone has kidney issues, they’re often on dialysis and sitting in a chair for treatment for hours on end. 

“It’s pretty miserable,” Ken said. “If more people were aware that they could do this…It’s relatively easy and you have a chance to save someone’s life or improve their life. Why wouldn’t I do it?”