In late 2007, my sister Mary’s kidneys failed, and I made the decision to give her one of mine. I did this because relationships contain implicit responsibilities. I also did it because she bought me a music box when I was five years old that played “Talk to the Animals” because I wanted to be a veterinarian. And finally, I did it because my nieces were barely in college and I wanted to spare them the pain of losing their mother, an experience I am well acquainted with becau...

In late 2007, my sister Mary’s kidneys failed, and I made the decision to give her one of mine. I did this, in short, because she’s my sister and I kind of like her, but I also did it because she bought me a music box that played “Talk to the Animals” when I was five years old because I wanted to be a veterinarian. Mostly, I did it because my nieces were barely in college and I wanted to spare them the pain of losing their mother. I know; I lost mine when I was sevente...

When my sister Mary’s kidneys faltered, I made the decision to give her one of mine. Though nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. have become living donors, no one has captured the stress and doubt of the rigorous evaluation process, or the absurdity of keeping urine in the refrigerator for 24-hours in a jar that suspiciously resembles a two-liter bottle with a handle. No one admits that being a living donor without a successful outcome makes you a pariah. Not every living donor walks away ...