What’s Involved

Before becoming a living donor, you will have an extensive evaluation by the experts at the UPMC Liver Transplant Program, who will make sure you’re a good candidate for living-donor surgery. They will also make sure that donating poses the least possible risk to you and the child in need and help find a child for which you are the most appropriate medical match.
Following the evaluation, our transplant team will help guide you through the next steps and prepare you for surgery.

Steps of Living-Liver Donation

1. Pre-liver-donation evaluation
2. Surgery to remove part of your liver
3. Post-liver-donation care

If you’re interested in saving a child on the liver transplant waiting list, please register to be a living donor today. If you’re an appropriate candidate for living donation, the UPMC Living Donor Transplant Program will contact you.

Learn more about the benefits and risks of living-donor liver transplant >
Register to become a living donor for a child in need >

Jamie Folmar: How a Living-Donor Liver Transplant Saved Her Life

Jamie Folmar has faced some major challenges in her life. Raised in foster care, she was born with biliary atresia. To help find a living donor, the Facebook page, “A Liver for Jamie” went live. Soon after, local newspapers and televisions stations picked up her story.

Hearing Jamie’s story inspired David Denovchek to help. He decided to donate a piece of his liver to save Jamie’s life.

Today, Jamie is a happy and healthy little girl. “She’s just a happy little ball of crazy. We run around and play hide-and-seek. Every time I see her, it seems like she’s grown six inches,” says David. “If anybody out there thinks they could become a liver donor, they should look into it.”