This Gift Voucher Might Just Get You a Kidney

September 15, 2017

(Scientific American) – The former judge tried to think creatively, as he had on the bench—where he was known for unconventional and sometimes highly controversial sentencing. He came up with what might be called the delayed kidney swap: He gave his kidney three years ago to Kathy DeGrandis, a retired airport manager in her 50s, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. In exchange, Quinn was given a voucher that gives him priority to receive a live donor kidney, provided a match can be found when a transplant is necessary. The idea caught on. Now about 30 hospitals around the country participate in this voucher program, administered by the National Kidney Registry.