Actor Jesse Eisenberg has announced he’s donating one of his kidneys. But not to one of his close relatives. Rather, he’s giving it to a total stranger.
Appearing on “TODAY” to discuss his upcoming film, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Eisenberg elected to share the information himself after discussing his passion for blood-donation.
Eisenberg Says He’s Been ‘Bitten’ by Donation Bug
“I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks,” he announced. “I really am.”
The Social Networkstar admitted he wasn’t sure what prompted the decision.
“I don’t know why,” he admitted. “I got like, bitten by the blood donation bug. I’m doing an altruistic donation (in) mid-December,” he explained. “I’m so excited to do it.”
But in a separate interview with TODAY.com, Eisenberg expanded on his decision to donate. “It’s essentially risk-free and so needed,” he said. “I think people will realize that it’s a no-brainer, if you have the time and the inclination.”
Over 100,000 People Need Kidneys
According to the National Kidney Foundation, over 123,000 people are currently on the transplant list to receive an organ. More than 100,000 need a kidney.
“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 continued. “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.”
What Is an ‘Altruistic Donor’
According to the American Transplant Society, there are three types of living donations a person can give: Directed Donation, Non-Directed Donation (sometimes known as Altruistic Donation), and Paired Donations (which is kidney specific).
“In a non-directed donation, the living donor is not related to or known by the recipient. The match is arranged based on medical compatibility for a patient in need. Some non-directed donors choose to never to meet their recipient. In other cases, the donor and recipient may meet if they both agree, and if the transplant center policy permits it,” the website explains.
“Non-directed donation is sometimes referred to as altruistic donation, though non-directed is the preferred term as all acts of living donation are altruistic,” the explanation continued.
Donating History
Eisenberg says he was initially interested a decade ago in donation, but nothing materialized after making initial contact with an unnamed organization. In a recent conversation with his doctor pal, the idea was broached again, and Eisenberg was directed to NYU Langone Health in New York City.
“I was in the hospital the next day and went through a battery of tests, and I’m now scheduled in mid-December,” he said.
This isn’t Eisenberg’s first venture at giving back. In an article written forThe Wall Street Journalin 2019, Eisenberg previously expressed his desire to give blood in all 50 states.
“I used to be scared of needles, but then I thought if I were getting pricked for something other than my own selfish interests – like checking my iron levels – I would get over my fear, so I started giving blood,” he wrote. “It worked. Now I give blood every 52 days and track my donations on the Blood Donor American Red Cross App. I want to give blood in all 50 states. So far, I’m up to, like, five or six states. But I’m gonna get it.”
