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“The Social Network” star Jesse Eisenberg is making a selfless donation.
“I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks,” he said during a recent appearance on the “Today” show. “I really am.”
Eisenberg said the decision was inspired after donating blood, but explained he didn’t have a specific reason.
“I don’t know why,” he noted. “I got bitten by the blood donation bug. I’m doing an altruistic donation mid-December. I’m so excited to do it.”
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An altruistic donation occurs when a person chooses to donate a kidney to someone in need whom they do not know, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“It’s essentially risk-free and so needed,” Eisenberg told the outlet. “I think people will realize that it’s a no-brainer if you have the time and the inclination.”
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He explained the donation process, which helps amid the organ shortage happening in the U.S. currently. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is a greater need for organs than are available from deceased donors.
“Let’s say person X needs a kidney in Kansas City, (and) their child or whoever was going to donate to them is, for whatever set of reasons, not a match, but somehow I am,” Eisenberg said.
“That person can still get my kidney and, hopefully, that child of that person still donates their kidney, right? But it goes to a bank where that person can find a match recipient, but it only works if there is basically an altruistic donor,” he noted.
Eisenberg also referred to the National Kidney Registry’s family voucher program. Some people choose not to donate in case a family member needs an organ at some point.
The family voucher program now allows up to five members of the donor’s family to receive vouchers. The voucher allows for the family member to be prioritized on the transplant list should they ever need an organ. After one voucher is redeemed, the remaining four cannot be used.
“The way it works now is you can put a list of whoever you would like to be the first to be at the top of the list,” Eisenberg said.
“So it’s risk-free for my family, as well,” he said.
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