A living donor advocate evaluation
It is a part of the process that living donors are psychologically assessed to ensure that they understand the emotional effects of donating a kidney. The team at the hospital will appoint an independent donor advocate to ask questions of both parties to the procedure. This stage ensures that both donor and recipient know the risks involved.

The purpose of the donor’s assessment is: to determine whether he/she is capable of making the decision to donate and to cope with the stress of a major surgery; to explore the rationale for donation to be sure that the donor is free of pressure or guilt; to discuss the effects of the decision on the donor’s job or family relations; to review the nature of the relationship between donor and recipient; and to ensure that the donor understands the risk of any complications, the recovery phase, and the financial aspects of donation.

My Story
Both my half-sister and I met with the Chaplain at the hospital who spoke to us together and then separately. He asked why I wanted to donate, whether I understood the serious physical demands such a procedure would place on my body, and whether I had given thought to the lasting psychological effects it would have. I explained why I wanted to donate (see: https://kidneydonor.org/the-decision/) and that I understood the consequences of my actions.

A few weeks later we received confirmation that the independent assessor was happy with our responses and that it was time to book an appointment for the operation.

Advice
My advice would be to talk openly with your recipient (if you can) about why you want to undertake the procedure before visiting the independent assessor, as this will help you give him/her a comprehensive and truthful answer. You should also think seriously about how you will feel if the kidney is rejected by the recipient and consider the very worst case that either of you might die (please be aware that the odds of this happening are one in every three thousand cases and so highly unlikely).

Finally, it is perfectly normal to be petrified by the operation and its aftermath! It is this response that makes you a brave person so be proud of yourself.