Thanks so much for the very thoughtful questions, Colleen. I wrote the book for two reasons: (1) to share how meaningful donating a kidney was and to encourage others to consider this opportunity - whether for a relative, friend, or stranger, and (2) to recommend policy changes that could make it easier for people to donate.

Dr. Lantos was particularly helpful in putting my personal story in the context of the medical, legal, and ethical history of living organ donation. As both a physician and a bioethicist he was able to use my story to show how current practices could be modified to ease the financial and psychosocial burdens on living donors, while maintaining both safety and efficacy. As a Harvard MBA, I wanted to talk about the unique position of living organ donors - we are BOTH patients AND part of the medical supply chain. Transplant Centers need to consider both roles in order to successfully recruit and retain these extraordinarily altruistic volunteers.