The National Kidney Registry (NKR), a Greenwich-based organization, and Donate Life America (DLA) have announced the first living kidney donation resulting from their Donate Life Living Donor Pathway partnership, with the milestone transplant completed at Hartford Hospital Transplant Center.

The donation serves as a proof of concept for the partnership, which was formed in November 2025 and creates a direct, seamless pathway for individuals registering as organ, eye, and tissue donors in the National Donate Life Registry to also sign up as potential living kidney donors. NKR provides enrolled potential donors with information, peer-to-peer support, and financial protections throughout the process. More than 90,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a donor kidney.

"Living donor kidneys are available sooner and last longer in patients. This innovative partnership between DLA and NKR means that more people in need will be able to receive kidneys from living donors," said Kari Rancourt, a living donor transplant coordinator at Hartford Hospital.

"Every day, generous people sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors, and that spirit of giving is something we never take for granted," said David Fleming, President and CEO of Donate Life America. "Our partnership with NKR was built on a simple idea: give more people a direct pathway to help save lives through living kidney donation. This partnership aims to help the more than 90,000 people waiting for a donor kidney. We are proud to reach this first milestone of making living donation more accessible."

"The NKR and DLA teams are thrilled to see the first kidney donation in our partnership, which will significantly improve a patient's life while facilitating a great act of kindness by a living donor," said Garet Hil, founder and CEO of the National Kidney Registry.

Hartford Hospital Transplant Center is a member center of the NKR, the world's largest paired exchange organization, having facilitated more than 12,000 living kidney donation transplants. The partnership builds on DLA's National Donate Life Registry, which has inspired millions of people to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors.