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The Kidney Donor's Journey: 100 Questions I Asked Before Donating My Kidney
After an unexpected year-long journey of exploring kidney donation, Ari Sytner became a kidney donor to save the life of a single mother of 3 children. The experience was so inspirational and transformative, that Ari revealed the entire journey in this first ever question and answer book, outlining the 100 questions he struggled with before deciding to proceed with his transplant and give the gift of life. The Kidney Donor's Journey walks you through every stage of Ari's process, from researching, struggling and telling his family, to testing, undergoing surgery and recovery. The book inspires readers to weigh the personal and ethical values of kindness and human life, while sharing a moving and uplifting tale of one man's journey to make a difference in the world.
Some questions
Plus many more powerful questions and answers!
Some questions
Plus many more powerful questions and answers!
- GenresNonfiction
204 pages, Paperback
Published September 8, 2016
10 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 14, 2021
A moving testimony of a selfless man on a mission to give a part of his life to someone else. Such acts have no price and no ranking. They are above and beyond that.
December 11, 2022
Read this!
May 27, 2017
Donating organs is something that most people probably don’t think about much. You may mark on your driver’s license that you want to be a an organ donor, but very few of us think about donating an organ while still alive. Ari Sytner was one person who did think about donating a kidney and donated his to a single mother of 3 kids. In order to enlighten others to the process of kidney donation he wrote The Kidney Donor’s Journey: 100 Questions I Asked Before Donating My Kidney.
Donating a kidney is not an easy decision to make and there is a lot to consider if you plan to do so. The Kidney Donor’s Journey has all the answers to your questions if you wanted to donate a kidney. I never thought of the idea of donating an organ while still living and I wondered why the author did. With my limited knowledge on kidney donation I just thought it was a risky procedure to have done when you have a family depending on you. That being said Ari gets into all the reasons he wanted to donate a kidney. For Ari he saw a need and wanted to help. When he was done, he wrote this book as a guide for others who want to give to people who were suffering.
Ari did not make the decision to donate a kidney lightly, from the time he thought about it until he did it was a long process. In this book he breaks down the process and takes you on his journey step by step. The Kidney Donor’s Journey is presented in a question and answer format and gives you all the details of what he went through. He gets into why to donate, what led him to do it, what to expect when you are being considered as a donor and what you have to go through in the aftermath. It was not an easy decision or an easy process but Ari felt that all life had value and he wanted to help someone. In the end he was able to help a stranger get her life and dignity back.
My favorite part of this book was a quote by Ari Sytner where he states that he doesn’t see himself as a hero, he is someone who just wanted to make the world and the life of people around him better. The Kidney Donor’s Journey is the story of someone who probably has more compassion than most people and he sells you on doing the ultimate act of kindnes. He even answers questions on if you would have trouble getting insurance when you’re done and talks about any regrets that you might have. This is an inspiring book and it doesn’t sugar coat anything, when you do something like this there are some good points and bad points to consider and this book lays out everything like a road map.
Donating a kidney is not an easy decision to make and there is a lot to consider if you plan to do so. The Kidney Donor’s Journey has all the answers to your questions if you wanted to donate a kidney. I never thought of the idea of donating an organ while still living and I wondered why the author did. With my limited knowledge on kidney donation I just thought it was a risky procedure to have done when you have a family depending on you. That being said Ari gets into all the reasons he wanted to donate a kidney. For Ari he saw a need and wanted to help. When he was done, he wrote this book as a guide for others who want to give to people who were suffering.
Ari did not make the decision to donate a kidney lightly, from the time he thought about it until he did it was a long process. In this book he breaks down the process and takes you on his journey step by step. The Kidney Donor’s Journey is presented in a question and answer format and gives you all the details of what he went through. He gets into why to donate, what led him to do it, what to expect when you are being considered as a donor and what you have to go through in the aftermath. It was not an easy decision or an easy process but Ari felt that all life had value and he wanted to help someone. In the end he was able to help a stranger get her life and dignity back.
My favorite part of this book was a quote by Ari Sytner where he states that he doesn’t see himself as a hero, he is someone who just wanted to make the world and the life of people around him better. The Kidney Donor’s Journey is the story of someone who probably has more compassion than most people and he sells you on doing the ultimate act of kindnes. He even answers questions on if you would have trouble getting insurance when you’re done and talks about any regrets that you might have. This is an inspiring book and it doesn’t sugar coat anything, when you do something like this there are some good points and bad points to consider and this book lays out everything like a road map.
January 9, 2017
Respect for author to present Kidney donation process so clearly that everyone can understand. The book has all the details that a donor might have before deciding to donate the kidney. Not only does this book reflects the author's own story but also serves as help guide on the topic. A very touching journey by author in this process. Kudos to author to bring this subject to readers in such a readable format.
October 12, 2018
When Ari Sytner wanted to learn about live kidney donation, most of the resources he found were medical, and the connections he made often wanted his contact information… way before he was ready to take that step. Persistent and patient research over time did answer his questions and help him and his family to make the decision to donate one of his kidneys to a total stranger, but he knew there should be an easier way.
The Kidney Donor’s Journey is a safe, commitment-free way to learn more about what’s involved physically, medically, and morally. The author emphasizes that, as much as he encourages people to consider live kidney donation, this book isn’t about convincing readers. It’s about sharing the information and starting the thought processes necessary for an informed choice.
Kidney donors tend to be reluctant to discuss what they’ve done, because some sacrifices are best kept private. Nonetheless, Ari Sytner chose to share his story with the goal of raising awareness of the opportunity to save another person’s life (and by so doing to impact that person’s family).
This book is subtitled “100 Questions I Asked Before Donating My Kidney,” although the author laughingly admits that he didn’t really ask if he could get pregnant afterward. That question’s included for women who are investigating the prospect.
Chapters address specific topics, from what prompted Rabbi Sytner to start his journey, to the screening process, to how to tell the various people in one’s life that one’s considering such a thing, and on to the surgery, recovery, and future life.
The Kidney Donor’s Journey is written in a gentle, easy-to-read style, carefully worded for clarity. It’s an approachable resource that tells one man’s story in a way that allows others to discover if they want to go further in the process. Even if they decide against donation, they’ll be better informed on the subject and can share what they’ve learned with those around them.
The book is based on the author’s experience in the US health-care system, so readers around the world will find differences in their local opportunities. Even within the US, there will be differences between states. More personal investigation would be needed anyway, for the reader who wants to go ahead with kidney donation. As the author points out, he’s not a doctor or a lawyer or other official expert. He’s just giving us the layperson’s insider view of his own story.
The back cover of the book tells us that “Ari Sytner is a serial optimist. He is a rabbi, social worker, therapist, inspirational speaker, Huffington Post contributor, blogger, CEO, organizational strategist, consultant and proud kidney donor.” For more about the author, visit asytner.com, and stop by his blog.
[Review copy provided by the author.]
The Kidney Donor’s Journey is a safe, commitment-free way to learn more about what’s involved physically, medically, and morally. The author emphasizes that, as much as he encourages people to consider live kidney donation, this book isn’t about convincing readers. It’s about sharing the information and starting the thought processes necessary for an informed choice.
Kidney donors tend to be reluctant to discuss what they’ve done, because some sacrifices are best kept private. Nonetheless, Ari Sytner chose to share his story with the goal of raising awareness of the opportunity to save another person’s life (and by so doing to impact that person’s family).
This book is subtitled “100 Questions I Asked Before Donating My Kidney,” although the author laughingly admits that he didn’t really ask if he could get pregnant afterward. That question’s included for women who are investigating the prospect.
Chapters address specific topics, from what prompted Rabbi Sytner to start his journey, to the screening process, to how to tell the various people in one’s life that one’s considering such a thing, and on to the surgery, recovery, and future life.
The Kidney Donor’s Journey is written in a gentle, easy-to-read style, carefully worded for clarity. It’s an approachable resource that tells one man’s story in a way that allows others to discover if they want to go further in the process. Even if they decide against donation, they’ll be better informed on the subject and can share what they’ve learned with those around them.
The book is based on the author’s experience in the US health-care system, so readers around the world will find differences in their local opportunities. Even within the US, there will be differences between states. More personal investigation would be needed anyway, for the reader who wants to go ahead with kidney donation. As the author points out, he’s not a doctor or a lawyer or other official expert. He’s just giving us the layperson’s insider view of his own story.
The back cover of the book tells us that “Ari Sytner is a serial optimist. He is a rabbi, social worker, therapist, inspirational speaker, Huffington Post contributor, blogger, CEO, organizational strategist, consultant and proud kidney donor.” For more about the author, visit asytner.com, and stop by his blog.
[Review copy provided by the author.]
July 13, 2018
I was given this book while beginning work on a community awareness program on live donation. The book was truly amazing and inspiring. While answering my own questions about the process, it also tells a story of courage and selfless giving on the part of the generally humble author. While I cannot give due to family history, I have an important tool to help encourage others to explore this live saving gift.
The author takes us on his journey, the doubts, fears, joys and rewards, while always acknowledging such a process is not for everyone and every journey is different. He was fortunate to have a great support system of family and employer, while being young and healthy enough to avoid any complications (in addition to working hard to improve his physical fitness prior to surgery).
While the book has a couple of redundancies and a few typos, the message and delivery make it easy to look past those and be inspired by a hero.
The author takes us on his journey, the doubts, fears, joys and rewards, while always acknowledging such a process is not for everyone and every journey is different. He was fortunate to have a great support system of family and employer, while being young and healthy enough to avoid any complications (in addition to working hard to improve his physical fitness prior to surgery).
While the book has a couple of redundancies and a few typos, the message and delivery make it easy to look past those and be inspired by a hero.
August 30, 2023
Good perspective from layperson's experience.
I have read a dozen, long, expensive medical books, and have learned a lot by doing so. This book however, is very different. It is the type of book that you should encourage possible would-be kidney donors to read to acquaint them with the basic need-to-know facts about what to expect. It is a good overview of the pros and cons, risks and rewards of kidney donations, in what is basically a gift that will often save a person's life.
I have read a dozen, long, expensive medical books, and have learned a lot by doing so. This book however, is very different. It is the type of book that you should encourage possible would-be kidney donors to read to acquaint them with the basic need-to-know facts about what to expect. It is a good overview of the pros and cons, risks and rewards of kidney donations, in what is basically a gift that will often save a person's life.
December 24, 2017
Informative
A very close friend was just put on the national list for needing a kidney when this book came to my attention. Out of curiosity, I picked it up. The author answers so many more questions than I would have ever thought to ask, including things like what my friend is going through with her nightly dialysis.
Very informative and well organized. Thank you.
A very close friend was just put on the national list for needing a kidney when this book came to my attention. Out of curiosity, I picked it up. The author answers so many more questions than I would have ever thought to ask, including things like what my friend is going through with her nightly dialysis.
Very informative and well organized. Thank you.
March 19, 2020
As someone at the final step of being a non directed donor many people have asked me why I would consider doing such a thing. I have had trouble putting into words an answer that many feel satisfied with. This book answers all those questions perfectly. I will be directing those that ask to read this book. Dr. Sytner does a great job answering all those questions. #shareyourspare
May 26, 2025
the process of kidney transplantation
This book is both accurate, moving and informative about kidney transplanting, and I strongly recommend it to anyone considering or simply curious about the process.
This book is both accurate, moving and informative about kidney transplanting, and I strongly recommend it to anyone considering or simply curious about the process.
June 28, 2017
Full review coming soon!
November 12, 2017
This book was recommended to me by a kidney donor to help answer my questions about this process. The book encompasses the different aspects of kidney donation and provides clear, concise responses.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews