Jesse Eisenberg reveals plan for altruistic kidney donation
Jesse Eisenberg is about to donate a kidney to a complete stranger.
The Oscar-nominated actor and director revealed in an interview with NBC a deeply personal act of generosity that goes beyond the message he delivers on screen, CE Report quotes ANSA.
“It was an obvious choice — I didn’t think twice about it,” said the 42-year-old star of The Social Network (2010), revealing that the surgery for the kidney removal is scheduled in six weeks.
“I don’t even know how it happened. I was inspired by the practice of blood donation. But in mid-December I’ll make another altruistic donation, and I’m over the moon,” added Jesse, who last year wrote, directed, and starred in A Real Pain, the story of two cousins traveling through Poland to honor their late grandmother.
The screenplay earned him an Academy Award nomination, while his co-star Kieran Culkin won Best Actor.
An altruistic donation is when someone donates a kidney to a complete stranger in desperate need.
“It’s a safe operation for the donor, and there’s an extreme need for it,” he told USA Today.
Eisenberg said he first had the idea about ten years ago and contacted a specialized organization at the time but never received a reply.
More recently, after speaking with a doctor friend, he was referred to Langone Hospital in New York, where the procedure is now being arranged.
Eisenberg’s decision comes at a crucial time for raising awareness about a topic often overlooked. In the United States, there is currently a severe organ donor shortage: according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, as of September 2024, about 90,000 people were on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.
Eisenberg also addressed common fears about altruistic kidney donations, particularly regarding future family needs:
“You can list people you’d like to be given priority on the waiting list,” he explained, referring to the Family Voucher program of the National Kidney Registry.
Eisenberg has already added his family members to that list to ensure they would have priority if they ever needed a kidney transplant.
