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How I failed to donate my kidney — EA Forum

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Cross-posted from my personal blog after strong encouragement from two people. The text is partially personal musings over my journey through the pre-surgery process, and partially a review of arguments why it might or might not make sense for a person who cares about effective altruism to donate a kidney. Some of the content is specific to where I am based in (Finland), and some of the content is less honed than I'd like, but if I didn't timebox my writing and just push whatever I have at the end of it I probably would not publish anything. Hope you enjoy! June 4, 2025 I was eating phở in the city center when the call came. The EM study had been done. "Bad news," my nephrologist said. "You have a kidney disease." The words hit harder than the spicy broth. After more than nine months of tests, blood draws, and even a kidney biopsy, my journey to donate a kidney to my friend had just come to an abrupt end. Let’s rewind to where this all began. When Effective Altruism volunteer Mikko men

Cross-posted from my personal blog after strong encouragement from two people. The text is partially personal musings over my journey through the pre-surgery process, and partially a review of arguments why it might or might not make sense for a person who cares about effective altruism to donate a kidney. Some of the content is specific to where I am based in (Finland), and some of the content is less honed than I'd like, but if I didn't timebox my writing and just push whatever I have at the end of it I probably would not publish anything. Hope you enjoy! June 4, 2025 I was eating phở…

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