Key takeaways:
Maui County attorney David Raatz donated part of his liver to a stranger in 2022.
He says he became a living donor because he wanted to do something meaningful for someone else.
Since his surgery, his liver has grown back to full size — and his gift saved a child’s life.
What’s it like to be a living organ donor?
For David Raatz, the path to being a living organ donor started with a Twitter thread.
It was a tweet by an attorney in Los Angeles talking about his experience as a non-directed living kidney donor — someone who donates an organ for selfless reasons, without naming a specific recipient.
“Something just snapped into place as he was telling his story and [sharing] how rewarding it was that made me think: ‘I gotta look into this,’” David recalls.
Rejected as a kidney donor, he offered his liver
For David, a 56-year-old Maui county attorney in Hawaii, the idea of helping a stranger by becoming a living organ donor was inspiring. He says it felt like an extension of his values as a longtime vegan. He was already a regular blood donor, and he felt excited to learn more about organ donation.
He applied for the kidney donation program at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. The hospital put him through a battery of tests and screenings. He passed with flying colors.
Then, he failed a kidney function test. David says he suspects his vegan diet led to his low score, even though his kidneys are healthy. But it meant he was rejected as a kidney donor.
“I hadn’t realized until that moment how emotionally invested I was in becoming a living organ donor,” he says. “I immediately went online to see what other options I had.”
David learned about another person who had been rejected as a kidney donor and switched to liver donation.
“As soon as I looked into that, I became intrigued,” he says. “It’s an amazing organ. You can donate part of your liver to someone, and it will grow back for the donor within 2 months. It will grow a new liver in the recipient’s body. And it’s a lifesaving measure. People don’t get a liver donation unless it’s needed to save their life.”
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Making an anonymous liver donation
David learned about a liver donation program at the University of Southern California. He immediately applied. They accepted many of the medical tests he had already done, and he flew to Los Angeles for additional screening. This time, he was approved.
A month later, in May 2022, he returned for a final week of testing and to quarantine, staying at a hotel across the street from the hospital. Then early on May 18, he walked over and checked in for surgery.
“The next thing I knew I was waking up at 3:30 in the afternoon, and they said the surgery was a success,” he recalls.
The transplant team removed about one third of his liver. David does not know the identity of the recipient — that information remains confidential. But he later learned the recipient was a patient at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
What recovery is like for a living donor
David stayed in the hospital for 5 nights to recover. He spent another 9 nights at the hotel before he was cleared to fly home to Hawaii. He says he didn’t have any pain, although his care team warned him that most people do.
The surgery itself involved opening his chest down to his navel, then cutting across to the right, leaving a large scar. His care team told him to raise his protein intake during recovery. He loaded up on tofu scrambles and protein shakes, using a meal delivery app to order food to his hotel room.
Doctors also warned him not to lift anything for 2 weeks after coming home. So, he had to ask friends for some help around the house. Other than that, he says the impact on his life was not significant.
“I was back to playing tennis exactly 2 months after surgery,” he says.
The financial burden was also minimal. Hospitals are not allowed to pay organ donors, even for expenses.
But the National Living Donor Assistance Center, a federally funded nonprofit, covers travel, hotel, food, and other costs. And David’s employer provides up to 30 days of paid leave for organ donation.
“I only needed to take five,” he says. “I was telecommuting from the hotel, because I really felt fine.”
A sense of connection
A more lasting side effect of the procedure? A profound sense of connection. David says he just feels more patient and less likely to be offended or upset with people.
After the surgery, “I just kind of felt bonded more with other people somehow,” he says, “like we’re all just trying to do what we can to help each other out.”
David works as an attorney for the Maui County government. He also teaches business law at the University of Hawaii Maui College, and legal writing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law.
Why consider being a living organ donor?
What should others know if they’re considering becoming a living organ donor? “First of all, I would just encourage people to consider it,” David says.
Donors go through extensive screening. Tests and interviews cover not only the candidate’s physical health but also their mental health, finances, and social support. That made David feel safe about the process.
“They’re not going to put somebody at risk, and they’re not going to let you be a donor unless you’re very capable of doing it,” he says. “So don’t be afraid to try, is what I would say.”
At the same time, be prepared to ask for help from family and friends. While David had minimal side effects, he noted that some donors have a longer recovery time or more pain.
“Make sure you feel comfortable with the possibility of needing to rely on a support network,” he says.
And for those who want to give but aren’t ready or able to consider organ donation, David suggests becoming a blood donor.
“There are various ways of helping that come with very little risk and a lot of reward,” he says
For David, the rewards of becoming a living organ donor were well worth it.
“I knew I was getting an opportunity to help somebody out,” he says. “But to see the gratitude of everybody at the transplant center, and the lead surgeon being in tears when he told me that the patient was doing well — I still get emotional thinking about that now.”
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