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Jesse Eisenberg to Donate a Kidney to a Stranger in Mid-December

His non-directed donation spotlights transplant chains serving a U.S. kidney waitlist of about 90,000.

Overview

  • The 42-year-old actor disclosed the plan during an Oct. 30 appearance on NBC's Today, saying he was "so excited" to do it.
  • He described it as an altruistic donation to an unknown recipient and told TODAY.com the process is "essentially risk-free."
  • Eisenberg said a doctor friend linked him to NYU Langone Health, where he completed testing before being scheduled for surgery in roughly six weeks.
  • He enrolled relatives in a family voucher program so they would receive priority for a future living-donor kidney if ever needed.
  • He noted that such donations can trigger transplant chains that increase matches for others; most living donors resume normal activities within two to four weeks, and roughly 5,000 living kidney donations are performed annually in the U.S.