Living Donation
From Experience to Action: Leigh Anne Mixon’s Journey as a Living Donor and Advocate
For Leigh Anne Mixon, organ donation has never been abstract. With more than a decade working inside a transplant program, she understood the science, the systems, and the stakes. What she didn’t yet know—until she stepped into it herself—was how deeply personal the journey of living donation could be.
Based on her career experiences, Leigh Anne knew she would pursue kidney donation as a non-directed donor at some point in her life. Her familiarity with transplant medicine meant she approached the process thoughtfully, weighing practical, emotional, and long-term considerations. Financial security was one of the first considerations. While donation-related medical costs are covered by the recipient’s insurance, time away from work can be a real barrier for many donors. Fortunately, in 2024 her employer joined the American Society of Transplantation’s Living Donor Circle of Excellence, ensuring she wouldn’t lose wages or exhaust paid time off during recovery.
Another question lingered: What if someone in my family needs a kidney someday? That concern was eased through the National Kidney Registry, whose voucher program provides peace of mind by allowing designated loved ones priority access to a kidney in the future if needed. Combined with strong support from friends, family, and colleagues—and extensive medical testing confirming she was healthy enough to donate—Leigh Anne felt confident moving forward.
But it was the 2024 Transplant Games in Birmingham that transformed intention into resolve.
Throughout her career in health care, her interactions with transplant patients often occurred during moments of challenge or complication. At the Games, she encountered something different: joy, gratitude, resilience. She spoke with recipients whose lives had been restored, donor families honoring loved ones, and fellow donors who shared a quiet pride in giving. The collective impact was undeniable. Surrounded by stories of lives changed through donation, Leigh Anne knew that if she could make that kind of difference, she wanted to.
Today, as both a transplant leader and a living donor, she is a powerful voice in dispelling myths around donation. She often hears fears that life after donation is dramatically limited. Her response is grounded and reassuring: aside from avoiding contact sports, her life looks much the same. She exercises, works, and lives fully—simply with greater mindfulness around hydration, nutrition, and overall wellness, habits she believes benefit everyone.
For Leigh Anne Mixon, donation is more than a decision. It’s a continuum—of care, of community, and of choosing to show up so others can live.
She also challenges the misconception that donation requires knowing a recipient or being a direct match. As a non-directed donor herself, Leigh Anne emphasizes that healthy adults can donate through programs designed to ensure safety and maximize impact—even for someone they may never meet.
What continues to inspire her most is the community surrounding donation. At the Transplant Games, competition took a backseat to connection. Teams cheered one another on. Old friends reunited. New advocates found their footing. The experience reaffirmed her desire to engage at the grassroots level, where awareness turns into action.
That commitment now extends into leadership. As a first-time Team Wisconsin captain, Leigh Anne brings her professional insight and network to help grow the team and expand outreach across the state. Looking ahead to the 2026 Transplant Games in Denver, she’s energized by the opportunity to bring an even larger Team Wisconsin to the national stage—one that reflects not just athletic achievement, but shared purpose.
For Leigh Anne Mixon, donation is more than a decision. It’s a continuum—of care, of community, and of choosing to show up so others can live.
FAQ
What organs can a person donate?
The two most transplanted organs from a living donor is either a kidney or segment of a liver.
Who can be a living donor?
Anyone 18 years or older in good physical and mental health may volunteer to be considered as a potential living donor candidate. Some medical conditions such as kidney or liver disease, diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, obesity, cancer or an uncontrolled psychiatric condition could prevent someone from being eligible to donate. The transplant center team can provide specific information about the criteria for donors. Potential donors will be asked to share their physical and mental health information with the transplant center team.
What are the benefits of a living donor transplant vs. deceased donor transplant?
Living donor transplants have a higher success rate and generally start functioning immediately after transplant. They have a quicker recovery time & have improved long-term outcomes. Living donor surgeries can be scheduled, allowing preparation time for both the donor and the recipient.
A living donor transplant decreases the time a person has to wait to receive a transplant as well as increases the number of organs available to those on the deceased donor transplant waiting list.
Is living donation safe?
Every donor goes through an extensive evaluation to confirm if donation is a safe option for them. The majority of living donors live active, healthy lives after donation.
Does a person need to match the blood type of a potential recipient in order to donate?
Kidney – No, a living kidney donor does not need to be the same blood type as their recipient. Living kidney donation provides the donor and recipient pairs with alternative options. The transplant team will decide which option is best for both the donor and the recipient.
Liver – Yes, a liver donor needs to have the same blood type as the recipient.
Blood type O is the universal donor. This means they can donate an organ to all blood types.
- Blood type AB is the universal recipient. This means they can receive an organ from all blood types.
- The +/- in a blood type does not matter in transplant
What does living donation surgery involve?
Kidney donation – The surgical procedure to remove a kidney is called a laparoscopic nephrectomy. During this procedure, the surgeon will make two small incisions for their instruments and a slightly larger incision (~3 inches) to remove the kidney on the abdomen. The surgery is approximately 2-3 hours long. There are several benefits to having a laparoscopic nephrectomy. Some of these benefits include a decrease in discomfort after surgery requiring less pain medication, a shorter length of stay in the hospital and a faster recovery period.
Liver donation – The surgical procedure to remove a portion of the liver is called a partial hepatectomy. An incision is made across the abdomen to locate the appropriate portion of the liver being removed. The surgery is approximately 6-8 hours long.
What are the risks to consider before becoming a living donor?
All donors complete a thorough medical evaluation prior to donation which includes meeting with the transplant multidisciplinary team as well as testing. The multidisciplinary team includes a Kidney or Liver Specialist, Transplant Surgeon, Pharmacist, Dietician, Social Worker, Transplant Psychologist, Coordinator and an Independent Living Donor Advocate.
Kidney donation – Some of the testing completed for a kidney donor may include an EKG, a CT scan, a chest x-ray, nuclear medicine GFR study and bloodwork
Liver donation – Some of the testing completed for a liver donor may include an EKG, a CT scan, MRI, chest x-ray and bloodwork.
All costs related to the medical evaluation are covered by the recipient’s health insurance.
While there are risks to all medical procedures the risks of a person having lifelong complications after donation are minimal. A transplant center will only move forward with a donor if they truly feel donation is in their best interest.
Who pays for a donor’s medical costs?
All costs related to donation such as the evaluation, testing and surgery are covered by the recipient’s insurance. Personal expenses such as travel, housing, child-care costs and lost wages however are not covered by the recipient’s insurance. Resources such as the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC) may be available to help cover some of these expenses. During the evaluation process a Social Worker will meet with the donor to discuss all financial aid programs available to them. Employers may provide FMLA to their employees per the Wisconsin Assembly Bill 752.
What is recovery like for a living donor?
Kidney donation – The average recovery time for a kidney donor is 4-6 weeks. A donor will stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. The remaining recovery is done at home. For six weeks post surgery, the donor will have a 10-pound lifting restriction. Lifting restrictions help to prevent hernias from developing.
Liver donation – The average recovery time for a liver donor is 8 weeks. A donor will stay in the hospital for about 7 days. They will be in the ICU for 2 of these days to closely monitor their status and pain control. Pain control is an important part of the recovery process especially the week after surgery.
Liver donors will have a large abdominal incision with drains placed as well as a nasogastric tube during their hospital stay. Post-surgery, there is a 10-pound lifting restriction for 8 weeks. Liver donors cannot drive while on narcotics so most donors need someone to take them to their first follow up appointments after surgery.
Donors are seen by members of the transplant team typically 7-10 days after surgery, at six months, one year and two years after donation. Blood and urine samples are collected at each appointment. Once the two year monitoring period is complete, donors are encouraged to follow up with their primary care providers for annual blood and urine tests.
Can women get pregnant/have children after donating?
Yes, women of childbearing age can get pregnant and have children after kidney or liver donation. The surgical procedures to remove a kidney or liver do not affect the reproductive organs.
Will the donor’s lifestyle change after donation?
Kidney donation – A kidney donor’s overall long-term survival is similar to those who have not donated a kidney. Their risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is significantly lower than the general unscreened public. There are no dietary or lifestyle changes a donor needs to make after donation except for the use of NSAID’s or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as these drugs can be harmful to the kidneys. Common drugs in this class include Ibuprofen, Aleve and Naproxen.
Liver donation – A liver donors overall long-term survival is similar to those who have not donated a liver. A liver donor will need to abstain from alcohol for one year after donation.
All donors are highly encouraged to continue a healthy lifestyle and see their primary care providers on an annual basis to ensure continued health.
What is a donor’s overall experience after living donation?
Living donors generally rate their overall experience as positive and say in retrospect, they would have still made the decision to donate. Most published reports indicate that donors have an improved sense of well-being, a boost in self-esteem and report an excellent quality of life after donation.
What should I consider as I make a decision about living donation?
The decision to donate can vary from person to person. Some people make the decision instantly while others may need time to think and talk to family or friends before deciding to donate.
It is normal for a person to feel afraid to donate or guilty about not wanting to be a donor.
People should not feel pressured to donate. Any person considering donation should speak to the living donor team and their independent living donor advocate at the transplant center for answers to their questions or to discuss their concerns.
The only ‘right’ decision is the one that is comfortable for the donor.
How can I help someone I know who needs a kidney or liver transplant?
Find out the specific transplant center where the person is receiving care and contact that transplant center directly. Your inquiry will be kept confidential.
Can I donate to someone I don’t know?
To be a humanitarian, or ‘non-directed’ donor, you should contact a Wisconsin transplant center. A list is available here.
To locate a transplant center outside Wisconsin, visit optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/about/search-membership.
Learn More
Contact any Wisconsin transplant center to find out more about living donation or the process to become a living kidney or liver donor:
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center
Transplant Program (Milwaukee)
Children’s Wisconsin Transplant Programs
Children’s Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
UW Health Transplant Center (Madison)
Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin
Transplant Center (Milwaukee)
National Resources
